Staff Reporter :
The Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) has announced plans to allocate 500 acres of land at the National Special Economic Zone (NSEZ) in Mirsarai to an International Master Developer, aimed at establishing a state-of-the-art “Green Factory Hub.”
This initiative is part of a broader strategy to attract foreign investment through the creation of large-scale, fully developed industrial zones.
The project is designed to emulate successful models such as the Korean Export Processing Zone and the Bepza Economic Zone, with the appointed master developer responsible for managing the industrial zone.
Operating under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) framework, the developer will oversee land development, construction of necessary facilities, and the allocation of plots to investors.
Abdullah Al Mahmud Faruk, Project Director of the NSEZ Development Project, highlighted that the focus is now on developing larger zones equipped with advanced infrastructure and environmentally sustainable factories.
“The International Master Developer will manage the complete development of the 500-acre zone, including utilities and facilities,” he stated.
The government-run Infrastructure Investment Facilitation Company (IIFC) will soon begin a feasibility study, with international tenders to be invited upon its completion.
Faruk added that BEZA expects the selection and allocation process to take around two years, with plans to host roadshows and other promotional events to generate investor interest.
In a further effort to attract foreign investors, BEZA and the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) recently hosted an investment summit, where a 60-member foreign investor delegation visited the Mirsarai NSEZ.
The area, which spans nearly 33,000 acres across Mirsarai and Sitakunda upazilas in Chattogram, as well as Sonagazi upazila in Feni, is BEZA’s flagship industrial development. The authority has already taken possession of approximately 17,500 acres of this land.
Key allocations within the NSEZ include 1,138 acres for the Bepza Economic Zone, 500 acres each for Bashundhara Group, PHP Group, and SBG Economic Zone, 198 acres for BSRM, and 900 acres for the Indian Economic Zone.
Notable progress has been made at the Bepza Economic Zone, where several factories are already operational. Bashundhara Group is nearing completion of three factories for chemicals, steel, and ready-mix concrete production, while PHP Group has begun developing its land and BSRM is carrying out land-filling activities.
Investors already active in the NSEZ include major names such as Berger Paints, Asian Paints, Nippon & McDonald Steel Industries, Jihong Medical, Adani Group, Healthcare Pharma, Wilmar International, Marico, ACI, SQ Group, and IFAD Autos.
However, BEZA recently cancelled the lease for 500 acres allocated to a consortium of Sikder Group, Bashundhara Group, and Gasmin Group under the SBG Economic Zone, citing a lack of development activity. The Indian Economic Zone project remains stalled, with Adani Ports and International Seaports Dredging Private Limited showing little interest.
Political uncertainty, particularly following the fall of the Awami League government and strained relations with India’s interim administration, has cast further doubt on the future of the project.
