The Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA) has prepared 60 industrial plots for investors at the under-construction Patuakhali Export Processing Zone (EPZ), paving the way for the formal allocation of plots and establishment of industries in the country's southern region. These plots are part of 306 industrial plots being developed at the Patuakhali EPZ, which is being established on 410.78 acres of land at Auliapur Union under Patuakhali Sadar upazila.
"We have already prepared 60 industrial plots for investors. Very soon, we will formally start allocating these plots to investors," said Abu Syeed Md. Anwar Parvez, Executive Director (Public Relations) of BEPZA. He mentioned that they are simultaneously advancing internal infrastructure development and the plot allocation process so that investors can establish factories and begin commercial operations without unnecessary delay.
The Patuakhali EPZ is being established with the broader objective of attracting investment, increasing export earnings, and creating employment opportunities, thereby contributing to the socioeconomic development of the southern region. The project, estimated to cost Tk 1,442.78 crore, was approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on August 29, 2023.
The implementation period, initially set from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2026, is in the process of being extended by two years until June 30, 2028. Land possession and handover between the Patuakhali district administration and BEPZA were completed on April 1, 2024.
According to the project targets, the EPZ is expected to attract around US$1.53 billion in direct foreign investment and generate annual exports of approximately US$1.836 billion at full production. It is also projected to create direct employment for around 100,000 people and indirect employment for another 200,000.
Infrastructure development at the EPZ is progressing. Land development has been completed, while improvement of a 4.40-kilometre canal has also been completed. Construction of roads, drains, footpaths, culverts, office buildings, standard factory buildings, residential buildings, boundary walls, water distribution networks, an 11-kV HT line and a 33/11-kV GIS substation is underway. Construction of around 130 of the 154 houses planned in the rehabilitation area is nearing completion.
A primary school, mosque, playground, cemetery and footpaths are also almost completed. The project includes four six-storey standard factory buildings, three 10-storey residential buildings and three office buildings, along with a substation, helipad, Central Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP), Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) network and rainwater conservation reservoirs. To maintain an environmentally friendly industrial zone, around 700 fruit-bearing trees of different varieties have already been planted inside the EPZ.
Meanwhile, the availability of ready plots has already started attracting interest from foreign investors. Recently, investment delegations from Malaysia and China visited the Patuakhali EPZ and expressed interest in investing there. Another Chinese investment delegation has also shown interest, while BEPZA is maintaining communication with potential investors. The Patuakhali EPZ is expected to create a new industrial hub in the southern region by providing investors with ready-to-develop industrial plots and modern infrastructure, while contributing to export growth and large-scale employment generation.
