A fire broke out at Mongla Export Processing Zone (EPZ) area in Khulna district on Tuesday. Ardesh Ali, senior station officer of Mongla EPZ Fire Service control room said the fire broke out at the VIP-1 factory inside the EPZ around 3:30 pm and spread soon. On information, seven firefighting units rushed to the spot and are trying to extinguish the blaze. Also read: Elderly woman dies while basking in warmth of fire in Sirajganj There were so many plastic and flammable materials inside the factory, which made the work of fire fighters difficult, he said. Monirul Islam, officer-in-charge of Mongla Police Station, said the fire might have originated from an electric short circuit.  

Bangladeshi company ASM Packall Export Industry will set up a garments accessories factory at Mongla Export Processing Zone (Mongla EPZ). The company will invest $4.8 million, and 400 Bangladeshi nationals will get employment opportunities at the factory. Read more: Chinese company to invest $ 12.89 million in Mongla EPZ ASM Packall will produce 1 lakh tons of bags, zippers, elastics, tapes, tags, labels, boards, paper bands, photo cards, bar codes, collar stands, and other products annually. Ali Reza Mazid, member (investment promotion) of the Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority, and Md Ashraful Alam, managing director of ASM Packall Export, signed an agreement Thursday in Dhaka. Read More: Cotton factory warehouse gutted in Mongla EPZ fire BEPZA Executive Chairman Major General Abul Kalam Mohammad Ziaur Rahman was present at that time.

Chinese Company Xihe Textile Technology Bangladesh Limited will set up a garment manufacturing industry in Mongla EPZ with an investment of USD $12.89 million. The fully foreign owned company will produce annually 5 million pcs of woven garments and 2.3 million pcs Knit garments. Xihe Textile will create employment opportunities for 2892 Bangladeshi nationals. Read: Uzbekistan keen to invest in Bangladesh’s oil, gas exploration sector The company has another RMG factory named Garments Manufacture JINLITE Bangladesh in Mongla EPZ. An agreement to this effect signed between Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA) and the Xihe Textile Technology Bangladesh, in the capital on Tuesday. Ali Reza Mazid, Member (Investment Promotion) of BEPZA and Yang Jilai, Managing Director of Xihe Textile Technology Bangladesh Ltd signed in the deed documents on behalf of their respective sides. Read: Ecnec cleared 12 projects involving Tk 12,017cr Abul Kalam Mohammad Ziaur Rahman, general and executive chairman of BEPZA witnessed the signing ceremony. Among others BEPZA members Mohammad Faruque Alam, Nafisa Banu, executive directors Md. Zakir Hossain Chowdhury, Nazma Binte Alamgir, Md. Tanvir Hossain were present during the signing ceremony.

A cotton factory warehouse in the Mongla EPZ was destroyed in a massive fire on Monday morning. The Guangzhou Huasheng Science and Technology Factory’s warehouse caught fire around 4am. Five firefighting units struggled for 12 hours to contain the blaze but by then, goods inside the warehouse had been completely destroyed. It is still unclear what sparked the fire. Neither the EPZ authorities nor the fire service officials could say anything about the cause of the blaze. Bagerhat Fire Service’s Deputy Assistant Director Md Golam Sarowar said the factory staff first saw the fire at the warehouse. Five firefighting units from Bagerhat, Khulna, Mongla port, Navy and EPZ joined hands to put out the fire. “We contained the fire around 4:30pm but the goods at the warehouse had been gutted. Smoke was belching out of the burnt cotton piles. The fire service members are clearing the burnt merchandise,” he said.