The government is set to launch a massive Tk 617 billion master plan to transform the state-owned shrimp estate at Chakaria in Cox's Bazar into a modern marine aquaculture export hub - branded as 'Shrimp City' - with an eye on generating US$50 billion in shrimp exports and integrating the livelihoods of 1.5 lakh people over the next five decades.
Officials at the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock said the 50-year blueprint, spanning 2025 to 2075, aims to convert nearly 28,000 acres of coastal land, including the existing 7,000-acre government shrimp estate, into a climate-resilient, technology-driven aquaculture and processing zone that could become a flagship of Bangladesh's blue economy.
"Marine fisheries are a major source of fish production and export income. To unlock this vast potential, the government has prepared a long-term plan to establish a modern Shrimp City and marine aquaculture export hub at Chakaria," ministry officials told this correspondent.
Under the draft plan, the project will be implemented in three phases with a combined public and private investment of Tk 617.33 billion, or about Tk 79,018 crore at the current exchange rate. An 80:20 public-private partnership model is now under consideration, under which the government would invest Tk 493.86 billion and the private sector Tk 123.47 billion.
Officials said the project seeks to modernise Bangladesh's low-yield traditional shrimp farming by shifting to semi-intensive, intensive and super-intensive production systems supported by hatcheries, diagnostic laboratories, disease surveillance centres, fish feed mills, processing facilities and upgraded water control structures.
Monish Kumar Mondal, Deputy Project Director of the Sustainable Coastal and Marine Fisheries Project, said the master plan also includes construction of climate-resilient embankments, fish landing stations, roads, housing zones, schools, health clinics, marketing centres, eco-tourism facilities and large-scale coastal afforestation under a comprehensive land-use zoning framework.
He said productivity is projected to rise sharply from the current 1.1 metric tonnes per hectare to more than 5 metric tonnes per hectare by 2050 once the modern facilities are in place, significantly boosting annual export earnings.
The first phase, scheduled for 2026 to 2030, will focus on pond rehabilitation, sluice gate repairs and pilot semi-intensive farming over 2,342.5 hectares, with an annual production target of 7,152 metric tonnes. Revenue from this phase alone is estimated at US$138 million a year, or US$690 million over five years.
The second phase, from 2031 to 2045, will expand semi-intensive and intensive farming and add shrimp processing centres, residential settlements, social infrastructure and eco-tourism zones. Annual production at this stage is projected at 42,242 metric tonnes with expected yearly revenues of US$612 million.
The final phase, covering 2046 to 2075, will complete the envisioned Shrimp City with renewable energy farms, digital traceability systems, smart logistics and planned urban settlements, eventually lifting cumulative export earnings to US$50 billion.
Officials said the project will create more than 50,000 direct jobs in aquaculture, processing, logistics, tourism and services, while the new township is designed to accommodate around 150,000 residents, offering a major poverty reduction opportunity for the wider Cox's Bazar coastal belt.
To support the industrial hub, a new bridge over the Matamuhuri River at Choufaldandi and an expanded peripheral dyke-road stretching from 26 kilometres to 110 kilometres have been planned, providing direct links to Matarbari Deep Sea Port, regional highways and the national railway network. Broadband connectivity, mobile towers and estate-wide monitoring systems will form the digital backbone, while solar, wind and tidal power systems are expected to ensure uninterrupted energy supply.
Climate adaptation has been placed at the centre of the plan as flood modelling shows nearly 94 per cent of the estate could face inundation during a 100-year flood event. The master plan therefore proposes raised embankments, cyclone-resistant ponds, salinity-tolerant shrimp species, waste recycling systems and 30 kilometres of mangrove restoration to protect the coastal zone.
Officials said construction of a 59-kilometre embankment, sluice gates, offices, guard rooms and coastal forestry has already begun as part of the preparatory works.
A senior Department of Fisheries official said the project could redefine Bangladesh's coastal economy if implemented properly.
"By integrating export-oriented aquaculture, diversified livelihoods and strong environmental safeguards, Chakaria can emerge as a national showcase for the blue economy and sustainable coastal development," he said.
If realised as planned, the neglected government shrimp estate at Chakaria could by 2075 evolve into one of South Asia's largest climate-smart aquaculture export centres, turning Bangladesh's vulnerable coastline into a powerful engine of foreign exchange earnings.
