Photo: Freepik

DHAKA, June 25, 2025 (BSS) - Bangladesh and South Korea today reiterated their strong commitment to deepen cooperation in infrastructure development as both countries identified significant opportunities to advance collaboration in the sector.

The reaffirmation came during the "Infrastructure Project Roadshow 2025", jointly organised by the South Korean Embassy and KOTRA (Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency) in Dhaka Office at a city hotel. 

This year marked the sixth edition of the annual roadshow aimed at bridging Bangladeshi infrastructure authorities and leading Korean companies.

A total of 13 Bangladeshi government agencies and 35 Korean construction and engineering firms took part in the event, underscoring the growing bilateral engagement in infrastructure.

From the Bangladeshi side, representatives of key bodies including the Planning Commission, Roads and Highways Department (RHD), Bangladesh Bridge Authority (BBA), Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB), Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL), DESCO, DPDC, DWASA, CWASA, PGCB, REB, and RPCL participated.

Prominent Korean entities such as Samsung C&T, Hyundai Engineering and Construction, Dohwa Engineering, Kolon Global, and Korea Engineering Consultants Corp (KECC) were among the participants. 

Country directors from Korea Exim Bank and KIND (Korea Overseas Infrastructure and Urban Development Corporation) were also present.

In his opening remarks, KORTA's Director General Jinhak Hur emphasized the strategic importance of infrastructure cooperation in fostering stronger bilateral ties between Bangladesh and Korea.

The Planning Commission delivered a detailed presentation outlining Bangladesh's project approval process-from feasibility studies to final approval by ECNEC-and the structure of the Annual Development Programme (ADP), which was highly appreciated by Korean participants and Official Development Assistance (ODA) organisations.

During the seminar segment, 12 Bangladeshi agencies presented their pipeline infrastructure projects, many of which were identified as potential candidates for Korean investment or partnership under bilateral and multilateral frameworks.

The presentations were followed by B2B (Business to Business) meetings between interested Korean companies and Bangladeshi agencies, guided by insights from a prior demand survey conducted by the organisers.

Korean companies have emerged as major contributors to Bangladesh's infrastructure sector in recent years, extending their involvement well beyond traditional RMG-related engagements, said the Korean Embassy here in a press release. 

With projects worth billions of dollars, Korean firms are involved in EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) and consultancy services across sectors including roads, railways, metro rail, power generation, and water and sewerage systems.

South Korea has also been directly supporting G2G public-private partnership (PPP) projects through KIND, while the Korea Eximbank and its Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) continue to back critical infrastructure schemes.

Participants from both sides expressed satisfaction over the quality and outcomes of past collaborations while voicing strong interest in scaling up engagements in the years ahead.