Tourism village not on locals' mind

The government should protect the around 130-acre Parjatan Holiday Complex in Cox's Bazar instead of “giving it away at a nominal price” for building a tourism village.

Locals and political activists made the call at a press conference at the beach town's press club yesterday.

They also claimed that the land costs Tk 5,000 crore but the government is leasing it out to a private business conglomerate -- Orion Group -- for Tk 60 crore.

The press conference was organised under the banner of Cox's Bazar Nagorik Samaj.

Emphasising the long tradition of the place, Sirajul Mostafa, president of district unit of Awami League, said pond, open space and natural environment of the complex are a source of recreation for the locals.

However, Mohammad Mohsin, general manager of Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation, said the government through an international tender bidding process selected the business conglomerate to develop an international standard tourism village on the 130-acre land.It is a first-ever public-private partnership initiative to develop an international tourism facility with the private partner making all the investments, he said. A five-star hotel, golf course, water theme park and other amusement facilities would be built there.

It would be a 50-year tenure and the winning bidder would pay the government more than Tk 772 crore including Tk 60 crore as an upfront premium (contract signing money), he said.

The rest of the amount -- Tk 712 crore -- would be paid over the period of 45 years, said Mohsin. In addition, the winning bidder would pay three percent of the profit, he said.

Orion would have to invest Tk 1,740 crore in two phases during the five years of construction to build the facility, he said. The contract is expected to be signed soon.

Contacted, Orion Group Chairman Md Obaidul Karim said they went through a rigorous bidding process over a period of three years to become the winning bidder for the project.

“Our vision is to build an international standard hospitality service and an amusement park among other facilities at the site now limping with a dilapidated 22-room motel accommodation,” he said.

Cox's Bazar is going to be Bangladesh's iconic tourism destination for locals and foreign tourists alike in near future and their investment effort is laid out in that line, he added.

As per a conceptual design, of the total land area, only 16 acres will be occupied with structures and the rest will have amusement facilities and remain as an open space. The amusement facilities would remain open free of cost for the underprivileged children once a week.

District Awami League's general secretary Mujibur Rahman and president of district unit of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal Naimul Haq Chowdhury Tutul also spoke.