PowerPac wins bid to develop Mirsarai Economic Zone

PowerPac-East West-GasMin consortium has received the contract for development and operation of Mirsarai Economic Zone in Chittagong. Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) certified the “Letter of Award” to the company at a programme held in Hotel Pan Pacific Sonargaon in the city on Tuesday. Chief Coordinator for Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Affairs in the Prime Minister’s Office Abul Kalam Azad was present at the event as the chief guest. Acting Chairman of BEZA Paban Chowdhury presided over the programme while Energy and Mineral Resources Secretary Nazimuddin Chowdhury and Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA) Chairman Major General Mohd Habibur Rahman Khan, among others, spoke. In his address, Abul Kalam Azad said: “The government has taken up comprehensive development plan for making Mirasarai Economic Zone fully operational.” “The developer company should take necessary measure from today so that the industrial production at the zone could be operational from 2018.” According to Paban Chowdhury, development work to ensure potable water through pipeline has mostly been completed. “BEPZA will soon start construction of export processing zones in around 12,000-acre area near the Economic Zone,” said BEPZA chairman. Mahabubur Rahman, representative of PowerPac, said the construction and development work of the economic zone will start within the next month and the investors could go for production by 2018. According to BEZA sources, PowerPac obtained the highest number 79.65, among eight bidders that submitted their tenders for having an appointment as developer for the 610-acre land in the Economic Zone, as per the circular on December 01, 2015. Bengal-Farah JV and JV of Energypac Power Generation Ltd are the other two joint-venture companies that submitted tender. In another event at Hotel Pan Pacific Sonargaon in the capital on Tuesday, BEZA also signed a tripartite memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Bangladesh Power Development Board and Rural Power Company Limited for setting up a 150 megawatt power plant in Mirasarai Ezconomic Zone.