Bangladesh Export Processing Zone Authority (Bepza) is set to prioritize IT, electronic, spare parts, computer accessories and other industries in line with the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) in its under-construction Bepza Economic Zone (EZ) at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpa Nagar (BSMSN) at Mirsharai in Chittagong.
According to Bepza, the planned EZ will be an EPZ inside the BSMSN and will be facilitated with all modern and eco-friendly industrial facilities.
In the first phase, BEPZA is setting up 140 industrial plots of 539 total in an area of 346 acres, said the EPZ authority.
Md Nazrul Islam, executive chairman of Bepza, said that the world now is in the age of ICT and 4IR has already begun. Bangladesh is preparing in the same way.
“We are giving more priority to the industries related to IT, computer accessories, lenses, various industrial hardware, etc. In other words, industries crucial to 4IR are getting priority here,” said Nazrul Islam.
The major advantages of establishing such industries are that any economic catastrophe or pandemic like Covid-19 can cause lower impact on these industries, he also said.
“There will also be some backward linkage industries involved with the RMG and other sectors, but our main priority is to establish IT-based, diversified, and industries aligned with the 4IR,” said the Bepza chairman.
He also said that Bepza will not give priority to apparel factories here, but rather shoe manufacturers and personal protection equipment (PPE) producers.
According to Bepza, there will be 539 industrial plots and 350 industrial units in this EPZ of BSMSN.
There will be a separate port and JICA has already taken initiative to build it.
However, Bepza’s EPZ will be completed before the establishment of the port, so it will use the Chittagong port for shipping since the distance of the project from the port is not too much, Bepza officials revealed.
About 90% of the work of the first phase has already been done and Bepza is ready to hand over 140 plots.
Once these are handed over, the companies will be able to start building their infrastructure facilities by September or October.
The whole work will be completed by 2023, where 40% of total work has already been done, said Bepza.
The total area of this EPZ is 1m150 acres and it is completely different from other EZs.
“It will be a green industrial zone with natature & productivity where there are multiple CETP, WTP, power plant, green lab, mega kitchen, modern zone service complex, officers & staff dormitory, ansar & security barracks, security and customs building,” said Nazrul Islam.
He also said that there will be 2,000 single foreigner’s accommodation, 1,000 single female accommodation; hotel facilities will be also available for the investors in Investor’s Club.
The development work of the Bepza economic zone began in 2018.
The Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (Beza) handed over 1,150 acres of land at the BSMSN to the BEPZA in a program held on Sunday in the capital.
The EPZs have lessened poverty through generating employment and setting up of backward and forward linkage industries and created new business scopes in the surrounding areas of the estates, said Bepza.
Zahid Hussain, a former senior economist of the World Bank said that Bepza already set up an economic zone inside BSMSN though there was no need for any separate zone for them.
“But I suggest investigating properly before allocating plots whether the receiver is a real investor or not. As an agricultural country, most of our land is arable. These arable lands are being acquired for setting up such industrial projects,” he added.
“Now if the real investors are deprived of allotment of plots, it will be detrimental from both sides. We have already had such bitter experiences in allocating the plots of BSCIC,” he also said.
However, there are eight EPZs across the country under Bepza and a total of 476 industrial units have been set up in the EPZs.
The factories of EPZs so far attracted $8 billion investment and have created around 450,000 jobs across the country and shipped products worth about $6.5 billion in the fiscal year 2019-20.
Apart from EPZ in BSMSN, Bepza is working with three more EPZs, these are Payra EPZ of Patuakhali, Noapara EPZ of Jessore, and Setabganj EPZ of Gaibandha.
