Today, Professor Muhammad Yunus, the chief adviser, requested that the Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA) advertise Bangladesh overseas and increase foreign investment in the nation’s industrial sectors.
At his office in Tejgaon, Dhaka, he addressed the BEPZA officials, “Build a team for economic diplomacy and promote Bangladesh abroad,” as the organization turned in its annual report for the 2023–24 fiscal year.
In order to accomplish this, the chief adviser also requested that BEPZA work with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In order to assist investors in overcoming language obstacles prior to making investment decisions, he also asked BEPZA officials to interact with Bangladeshi students studying overseas, particularly in China and Japan.
BEPZA Executive Chairman Major General Abul Kalam Mohammad Ziaur Rahman said they are already receiving positive responses from investors following the July-August uprising in Bangladesh and the repeatedly changing global political landscape.
“In the past three weeks, we have received a USD $135 million investment proposal from the Chinese investors. Talks are underway for more investments,” he told the chief adviser.
He added that there are currently 452 enterprises spread over eight export processing zones in Bangladesh.
In the zones, 136 more factories are presently being built.
More than 100 of the operating factories are owned by local investors, with the majority being joint ventures.
52 percent of the factories make textile products, clothing accessories, and ready-made clothing. The remaining factories are diverse and make a variety of goods, including toys and coffins.
Major General Zia informed the chief adviser of some of the demands of the investors, including uninterrupted gas and power supply, bonded warehouse facilities in the BEPZA areas, Chattogram-Sanghai direct air connectivity, and visa counsellor service in the Chinese city of Shanghai.
Prof Yunus asked the authorities to explore the possibility of setting up solar power plants in export processing zones and work on gas exploration and develop a distribution system.
He also asked the authorities to see if Bangladesh can benefit from importing energy from neighbouring countries.
Targeted economic diplomacy was highlighted by Lutfey Siddiqi, Special Envoy to the Chief Adviser, who attended the event.
He stated that in order to allow industry to obtain more electricity from the nation’s current facilities, the government will endeavor to create an integrated power distribution system.
Ashik Chowdhury, chairman of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), stated that Bangladesh ought to promote foreign investment in export processing zones.
“We should make BEPZA and BEZA more attractive and promote the facilities available in the area across the globe to bring more investments,” he said.
Principal Secretary to the chief adviser Md Siraj Uddin Miah was also present at the meeting.
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