Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) has planned to turn Sabrang area of Teknaf upazila into a tourism park of international standard in the similar style of Pattaya city in Thailand. The park is being built on 1,041 acres of land, which is 80 kilometers away from Cox's Bazar.
BCS (admin) Welfare Multipurpose Co-operative Society was allotted a 10-acre plot on 31 May 2020 to build a five star hotel. Lease price of the land was estimated at USD 18,71,672 dollars for 50 years.
The society has not yet been handed over the land as they have not paid the money. BEZA has extended the period for the payment for five times, and informed the society that time will not be extended any more after August.
About the matter BEZA executive chairman and former public administration ministry secretary Sheikh Yousuf Haroon said, "We have set a deadline for the society to the lease money. We would take next course of action if the payment is not made within the stipulated time."
BCS (admin) Welfare Multipurpose Co-operative Society fears that it would be impossible to implement the project to build a five-star hotel if the lease money of the land is not paid within the stipulated time.
Society president and also senior secretary at the prime minister office (PMO), Md Tofazzol Hossian Mia sent a letter to all admin officers on 7 July.
Terming Sabrang attractive for tourism, the admin cadre officials have been urged in the letter to buy shares of the project by 31 August.
Sources said the society has planned to sell 4,000 shares to implement the project. The letter has been sent to members of the society with value of Tk 50,000 per share. But members did not turn up positively despite sending letters eight times. Till now, 221 members have bought 881 shares, of which value stands at about Tk 45 million.
Under such circumstance, the president of the society in the letter has urged the officials to buy at least three and the highest 50 shares by 31 August. Otherwise, it would not be possible to implement the project, the letters read.
Why reluctant to buy shares
Officials said none of the projects undertaken by the society has been implemented. For example, they said a housing project was taken in the capital's Purbachal adjacent to 300-feet road in 2011. But the project has not been implemented.
Sources said BCS (admin) Welfare Multipurpose Co-operative Society was established in 2007. Its office is at BIAM Foundation. The number of members is over 3,000. However, the number of admin cadre officials is over 5,000. Now finding no other ways, the society has urged all admin cadre officials to buy shares.
Preferring not to be named, officials said there are uncertainties when the project will be implemented. Rather they can make more profit by buying savings certificates or land.
About the matter, society president Tofazzal Hossain Mia was not available for comment over phone. He also did not respond to the text message.
*This report, originally published in Prothom Alo print edition, has been written in English by Rabiul Islam.