Nearly half of the industrial plots planned for the Jashore Export Processing Zone (EPZ) have already been prepared for allocation to investors, as the development of the new industrial hub in the country's southwestern region is progressing rapidly.
Of the 415 industrial plots planned under the project, 200 have already been made ready for allocation to investors, said Abu Syeed Md. Anwar Parvez, executive director (Public Relations) of Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA).
"Jashore EPZ is not merely an initiative to establish an industrial zone; rather, it is opening a new window of opportunity to transform the overall economic scenario of the southwestern region of the country," he said.
He said the construction of the EPZ is progressing rapidly under BEPZA's supervision, while infrastructure development and the plot allocation process are being carried out simultaneously to enable investors to establish factories and start commercial operations at the earliest possible time, reports BSS.
"Several local and foreign investors have already visited the Jashore EPZ," he said, adding that BEPZA is taking steps so that investors can move ahead with factory construction and other preparatory activities without waiting for the completion of all infrastructure works.
According to BEPZA, the Jashore EPZ is being established on 510 acres of land at Prembagh Union under Abhaynagar upazila of Jashore district with the objective of attracting investment, increasing export earnings and creating large-scale employment in the southwestern region.
The project was approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on November 9, 2023, at a cost of Tk 1,678.29 crore (Tk 16.78 billion).
The land was handed over to BEPZA by the Jashore district administration on March 23, 2024.
The project aims to attract around US$2 billion in investment and generate annual exports worth US$2.4 billion when fully operational.
It is expected to create direct employment for 1.5 lakh people and indirect employment for another three lakh Bangladeshis.
Anwar Parvez said the simultaneous progress of plot allocation and infrastructure development would allow investors to complete factory construction and other preparations while the EPZ's internal facilities are being developed.
"By the time investors complete their preparations for setting up factories, the necessary infrastructure of the EPZ will also be completed," he said.
According to the project update, around 70 per cent of land development work has been completed while construction of RCC canals is about 95 per cent complete. Roads, drains, culverts, boundary walls and footpaths are under construction.
Construction is also underway on an office building, four six-storey factory buildings, three 10-storey residential buildings, two six-storey dormitories and two six-storey Ansar and security barracks.
The tender process for establishing a gas network by Sundarban Gas Company Limited is underway.
An initiative has also been taken to construct a 33/11 kV GIS substation under the financing and management of Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board, while the 11 kV electrical line and substation have already been commissioned.
Tenders have been invited for solar street lights and a water distribution network. Designs and estimates for the Central Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP), Sewerage Treatment Plant (STP) network and internet network are also being prepared. Two deep tube wells have already been installed.
"We hope that once Jashore EPZ becomes fully operational, it will inject new life into the local economy, create huge employment opportunities and play an important role in transforming the overall economic landscape of the southwestern region," Anwar Parvez said.
The Jashore EPZ project is scheduled to be completed by December 31, 2026, while a proposal to extend the project tenure by one year to December 31, 2027 is under consideration.
