S Korea to strengthen infrastructure partnership

South Korean ambassador to Bangladesh Lee Jang-keun on Wednesday said that they are committed to strengthen infrastructure partnership with Bangladesh.

“Infrastructure development is the key to the success of Bangladesh’s economic development. It is also the key to achieve Bangladesh’s vision to become a developed nation by 2041. We are committed to strengthen further our partnership with Bangladesh in the infrastructure area,” Lee said.

The Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Dhaka hosted Infra Project Roadshow, in cooperation with the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency Dhaka office at a hotel.

Some 11 Bangladesh agencies including the Public-Private Partnership Authority (PPPA), the Bangladesh Power Development Board, the Roads & Highways Department, Bangladesh Railway, Bangladesh Bridge Authority, Dhaka WASA and Chattogram WASA, and 31 Korean construction and engineering companies including 12 Dhaka-based companies took part in the event.

The ambassador added that Korea, a vivid example of how investment in infrastructure can turn into economic development, is a natural partner for Bangladesh’s development of infrastructures.

“I believe the infrastructure sector can and should be the next RMG sector, another success story of economic cooperation between the two countries. And I think the infrastructure can be an area which could take our bilateral ties to a new height in the coming decades,” he said.

Bangladesh contractors and Korean companies sat together to explore potential opportunities for cooperation in the field of infrastructure projects in Bangladesh through in-person and virtual one-on-one meetings.

Appreciating collaboration in infrastructure between the two countries, particularly through PPP platforms, Sultana Afroz, Secretary and CEO of PPPA, said this roadshow would provide an opportunity to see the progress of the partnership and the potential projects.

Korea is a longtime partner in Bangladesh’s infrastructure projects. The first project even dates back to the early 1970s. A Korean company built the highway between Dhaka and Chattogram in 1971, according to a press release.

Korean companies participated in 210 infrastructure projects till date including Jamuna Multipurpose Bridge project built by Hyundai Construction in 1998.