By next year 2026, five government economic zones will be fully prepared including gas, water, electricity and communication facilities to go into operation while work on others will remain in sideline, said Chowdhury Ashiq Mahmud Bin Harun, Executive Chairman of Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA)
He said that there is no need to create 100 economic zones in the country at the moment. If 10 can be created and put into operation in next 10 years, it will be enough for Bangladesh.
He said these things at a press conference on progress BEZA estates made so far and other associated plans on Tuesday. The press conference was held at Bida Multipurpose Hall in the city.
The economic zones that will be fully prepared next year are National Special Economic Zone, Srihatta (Sylhet) Economic Zone, Jamalpur Economic Zone, Maheshkhali Economic Zone, and Japanese Economic Zone.
Ashiq Mahmud said our main focus will be on these five economic zones for the next year. We will try to avoid working on other economic zones outside of these to concentrate funds and manpower.
He said, we are not excluding or closing the others. For industrialization that will take place in next 10 years, it is more necessary to properly establish these 5 economic zones.
The BIDA executive chairman said, work is currently underway in 19 economic zones. 122 companies have started work; 7,200 acres of land have been acquired. 45,000 jobs have been created. There are 212 investors.
He said, there are plans to set up solar parks in unused areas of the economic zones. We are trying to set up solar panels in the Mirsarai economic zone on a PPP model. In addition, there are plans to set up economic zones in government's mills and factories that are closed or losses making.
The BIDA executive chairman also said, "By the end of 2026, we will add an additional 133 domestic and foreign investors to economic zones. We hope they will invest $5.3 billion. This will create employment for 250,000 people."