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The government plans to construct a 10-storey building at Gulshan in Dhaka for the headquarters of BIMSTEC, the Bay of Bengal regional bloc, comprising seven countries, formed to boost technical and economic cooperation.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs proposed a project involving an estimated cost of over Tk 1.22 billion to energise BIMSTEC activities and strengthen regional cooperation and solidarity.
However, the justification for such a large investment has been questioned as the planned facility will cover 9,017 square metres across 10 floors and two separate basements, for only 50 BIMSTEC employees, said officials of the Planning Commission.
They said that the Physical Infrastructure Division of the Planning Commission earlier initiated preparation of the project to place it before the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC).
The Department of Public Works will complete the building by November 2028. The work will start in December this year, subject to the ECNEC approval.
The BIMSTEC was originally formed in 1997 in Bangkok comprising Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, with its name derived from the initials of the participating countries.
Myanmar, Nepal, and Bhutan joined in 2004, and the organisation was renamed the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation.
The headquarters in Dhaka serve as the base for promoting mutual cooperation in 14 sectors including trade, investment, technology, tourism, human resources, agriculture, communications, and ready-made garments.
At various conferences of the organisation, demands were made to establish a permanent secretariat, leading to the allocation of a government building in Gulshan, Dhaka, for its use.
The two-storey old building was officially inaugurated in 2014 after renovation works.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the existing building, already insufficient for the organisation's 30 staff members, was further constrained by the number of employees raised to 50.
Upward expansion of the old building is not possible, the ministry officials said. A proposal has been made to demolish it and construct a new building.
The documents reveal that the new building will feature 10 floors above a 15-floor foundation, two basement levels. The construction, interior decoration, drainage, electrical, and gas connection will cost Tk 524.2 million (Tk 52.42 crore), accounting for 42.8 per cent of the total project budget.
"The project is intended to make BIMSTEC's operations more dynamic while enhancing regional cooperation and integration among the seven member countries of the Bay of Bengal region," said a senior official of the foreign ministry.
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