Construction of Ctg WTC Gathers Speed

Space booking likely to start next month

22 October 2009, 17:00 PM

Shahidul Islam, Chittagong

Construction work of the 21-story World Trade Centre in progress in Agrabad Commercial Area in Chittagong.Photo: STAR

Construction work of the 21-storey World Trade Centre (WTC) in the port city has started gathering speed and booking for its space is likely to begin after the Eid-ul-Azha. Concord Engineers and Construction Ltd is constructing the WTC on 75 kathas of land in busy Agrabad Commercial area at cost of Tk 141 crore with the financial assistance from Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI), the apex body of Chittagong businesses community. The business leaders in the port city hoped that the WTC would boost up trade and business, enhance tourism and attract a large number of investors. Construction work on the project began in May 2006, which is scheduled to complete by November this year. But Concord Engineers and Construction Ltd is most likely to miss the deadline as it has so far completed work of the three-storey basement only. MA Salam, senior vice president of the chamber, told The Daily Star they will hopefully float tender for booking space by the end of November. “Work of the ground floor will be completed this month (October) while the first floor in November. Then we will call tender for booking,” he said. MA Salam said the first eight floors will be known as main WTC building and the remaining floors will house a five-star hotel. The basement and ground floor is 44,000 square feet while the remaining floors is 40,000 sqft, said project engineer Nasiruddin Chowdhury. The height of the WTC would be 90.70 metres, he said. Nasiruddin said the WTC will house a five-star hotel with 240 rooms, two swimming pools, roof-top helipad, three-storey basement with parking accommodation to 400 vehicles, an international-standard convention centre, one modern IT (information technology) centre, one permanent and one temporary display or exhibition centre for products of local enterprises and business houses. Salam said, “We are going to be the proud owner of country's first WTC. It will definitely help make Chittagong the commercial capital of the country in true sense.” “We pay an annual fee of US$ 7,500 to the Word Trade Centre Association (WTCA) as its member,” he said. “The WTC would cater the need of an international-standard convention centre that the port city lacks seriously,” the chamber leader said adding the WTC is expected to encourage flight operations of renowned airlines like Emirates and Etihad to and from Chittagong Shah Amanat International Airport. 'Whenever we try to attract Emirates or Etihad, they instantly point out absence of the world-class accommodation and a five-star hotel in Chittagong. The WTC will undeniably fulfil their demand and be able to attract substantial number of foreign investors and businesses here,” he said. Salam further said: "The WTC will encourage us to take bigger projects such as special industrial zone or export processing zone (EPZ) under private entrepreneurship that we have seen in Turkey during our recent visit there".