Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday inaugurated and laid foundation stones of 50 industrial units and infrastructures at different economic zones on the occasion of the golden jubilee of the country’s independence.
She unveiled their plaques joining an event through a videoconference from her official residence Ganabhaban.
Bangladesh Economic Zone Authority (BEZA) arranged the event at the country’s largest industrial estate 'Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpa Nagar' in Mirsarai of Chattogram.
Among them, four industrial units have started production at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpa Nagar while eight others at different privately-run Economic zones.
Besides, Karnaphuli Drydock Special Economic Zone, the administrative buildings of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpa Nagar (BSMSN), Jamalpur Economic Zone, Srihatta Economic Zone and Sabrang Tourism Park, 20-kilometre Sheikh Hasina Sarani, 230-KVA gridline and substation at BSMSN were opened.
Moreover, the foundation stones of 29 industrial units in different economic zones and a water treatment plant having 50 million litres per day (MLD) capacity in the BSMSN were laid.
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In the BSMSN, the four industrial factories which started the commercial operation are Asian Paints of India, Nippon Steel of Japan, McDonald Steel of Bangladesh, and TK Group's subsidiary Samuda Construction Limited.
The government has been setting up 100 economic zones in different parts of the country. Some 10 million people are expected to be directly and indirectly employed in the economic zones. The government has set a target of goods production and export earnings worth around US$ 40 billion from the zones.
Among the planned 100 economic zones, the government has already approved 97 economic zones. Of them, 28 economic zones are currently under development.
In the economic zones, 29 industrial establishments are already in commercial production and 61 others are under construction. So far, some 45,000 jobs have been created in the economic zones and about US$ 4 billion have been invested in the private economic zones.
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Besides, the proposed investment in all economic zones is more than US$ 26 billion.
Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury, PM’s Private Industry and Investment Adviser Salman F Rahman, Chattogram-1 MP Engineer Mosharraf Hossain and President of Bangladesh Economic Zone Investors Association and also vice chairman of Bashundhara Group Safwan Sobhan also spoke at the function, while BEZA Executive Chairman Sheikh Yusuf Haroon delivered the welcome speech.