Home ›› 12 Nov 2022 ›› Front
The government is going to expand the private-run Cumilla Economic Zone and City Economic Zone following strong investor demand for industrial plots in the zone.
An additional 56.48 acre of land will be included in the City EZ, being developed by the City Group in Naraynganj, according to a gazette notification issued by the Bangladesh Economic Zone Authority (BEZA) on 27 October.
Besides, the Cumilla EZ, being developed by Meghna Group in Cumilla, will be expanded on an additional 113 acres of land.
Anyone who might be affected by the inclusion of the scheduled land in the EZs can submit an opinion to the BEZA secretary within 21 days of the publication of the gazette notification.
Any industrial development in the scheduled land will be done in accordance with the government’s approved master plan for establishing and expanding the EZs, which includes installing firefighting systems, water treatment plants, sewage systems and Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP).
City EZ
The inclusion of the new land in City EZ was announced following a request by City Group Chairman Fazlur Rahman to the BEZA executive chairman. The land, situated at Uttar Rupasi mouza of Rupganj in Narayanganj is jointly owned by the City EZ authorities and Rupshi Feed Mills. The ownership of the land was deeded earlier this year.
According to the BEZA notification, a total of 56.4831 acres of land is being incorporated in the EZ in a total of seven dags in four khatiyans. The land is surrounded by City EZ-owned land to the south and fallow land to the north and east. The addition of new land will take the total land area in the City EZ to 134.4431 acres.
According to BEZA, there are six large industries in the City EZ-- City Auto Rice & Dal Mills Ltd, City Edible Oil Ltd, City Seed Crushing Industries Ltd. (Unit-2), Rupshi Feed Mills Limited and Rupshi Flour Mills Limited.
Once completed, the zone is expected to provide employment to about 15,000 people. So far, City Group has employed 1080 people in the zone and invested at least $223 million.
Cumilla EZ
BEZA announced 246.36 acres of land in Meghna upazila of Cumilla as the Cumilla EZ on March 20, 2022. The EZ has recently been allotted another 113.78 acres of land following a request from Meghna Group Chairman Mustafa Kamal to BEZA executive chairman.
Of the newly allotted land, 94.2079 acres are owned by Cumilla EZ and 14.0618 acres are owned by several directors of Meghna Group, according to the BEZA notification.
Besides, 5.53 acres of land has been purchased in the name of Meghna Group’s four sister concerns– Meghna Electricity Generation Company, Meghna Properties, United Sugar Mills, Unique Hatchery and Feeds Limited, it added.
The notification also said the Cumilla EZ will be developed on 32.8989 acres of land in 158 dags in 163 khatiyans at Sonachar mouza of Meghna upazila and will be expanded on 80.8828 acres of land in 261 dags in 124 khatiyans at Baghaiya Nilkhi mouza of the same upazila.
The Cumilla EZ is the third economic zone of the Meghna Group, which is also running the Meghna Industrial Economic Zone (MIEZ) and Meghna Economic Zone (MEZ). The implementing authority expects some companies in the zone will go into production by midway next year.
Meghna Group officials said they will be using their experience to attract foreign investment in the Cumilla EZ. As the zone is near Dhaka, it will get a good response from investors. The group plans to give a big portion of the EZ to foreign investors.
Meghna Group Chairman Mostafa Kamal said the EZ has a potential to attract $2 billion in investment. Soon after getting the license to develop the zone, he said it will create employment opportunities for around 50,000 people.
Investors from the United States, Japan, Germany have already shown interest to invest in the EZ. It is expected to accommodate textile, chelical, steel and gas industries upon completion.
