KEPZ making continuous progress: South Korean envoy

South Korean Ambassador to Bangladesh Lee Jang-keun said the Korean Export Processing Zone (KEPZ) in Chattogram is showing continuous progress in developing the area through a series of efforts.

KEPZ is developing the area by adding more factories, establishing ICT zones, opening design and development centres, inaugurating the country’s largest rooftop solar panel electricity generation, and inviting foreign companies, he said.

The South Korean envoy, together with German Ambassador to Bangladesh Achim Troester, visited KEPZ on Saturday and looked around the factories and other facilities at the compound, including the newly opened unit of German company STRAUSS.

A renowned German outdoor and sportswear company, STRAUSS, officially opened its design and development centre, STRAUSS CI Factory Chattogram, at KEPZ on October 24 last year.

Around 200 people are currently employed in Chattogram — from product development to sales and marketing.

KEPZ has successfully installed and is operating the country’s largest single rooftop solar power plant with a capacity of 22MW, which not only suffices the electricity needs of the zone but is also incorporated with Bangladesh’s national electricity grid, said the South Korean Embassy in Dhaka on Sunday.

Ambassador Lee, together with State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid, inaugurated KEPZ’s rooftop solar panel plant on June 20, 2021.

Ambassador Lee also said that KEPZ’s ICT zone is well underway as planned. The construction of the ICT zone started in April last year through a groundbreaking ceremony with the presence of ICT State Minister Zunaid Ahmed Palak and it is at the last stage of completing two factory buildings.

According to the KEPZ, currently, 43 operating factories are employing over 22,000 workers. Eight other factories are under construction.

KEPZ is the sole private-owned EPZ in the country, operated by the Korean Youngone Corporation which is the first and the largest foreign investor in the ready-made garment (RMG) sector in Bangladesh.