PM to inaugurate 43 industrial units in EZs

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is going to inaugurate 43 industrial units in economic zones next week involving investments worth $1.57 billion, said a press statement of Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (Beza) yesterday. 

Of the units, the premier will inaugurate commercial operations of 14 factories on October 26.

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They include four industrial units in government-owned Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpa Nagar (BSMSN) in Chattogram, one in Shreehatta Economic Zone in Sylhet and nine in various private economic zones.

Entrepreneurs of the factories have already invested $967 million out of their proposed investment of $1.3 billion in the economic zones.

Hasina will also lay foundation stones for the establishment of 29 factories, where businesses have already invested $610 million out of their proposed investment of $2.53 billion in public and private economic zones, said Beza.

So far, the factories have created 6,400 jobs and another 38,600 or so are expected to be created after realisation of all of the proposed investment.

Hasina will also inaugurate seven infrastructures of economic zones.

Entrepreneurs of the factories have already invested $967 million out of their proposed investment of $1.3 billion in the economic zones

In 2015, the government set an ambitious target of setting up 100 economic zones in the next 15 years to create one crore jobs and export $40 billion worth of goods and services.

Beza has approved setting up 97 economic zones so far, of which 68 are public and 29 private.

Until now, Beza has received $22 billion in investment proposals in BSMSN, economic zones in Shreehatta, Jamalpur and Maheshkhali and Sabrang Tourism Park.

Besides, nearly $4 billion has been invested in 12 private economic zones. At present, 29 industries have started commercial production in public and private economic zones, and another 61 industries are under construction.

The economic zones have attracted foreign direct investments from countries including Japan, China, India, Australia, the Netherlands, Germany, America, the United Kingdom, Singapore, South Korea, and Norway.