Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA) has signed lease agreements worth USD 50 million with four local and foreign companies from Sri Lanka, USA and China.
BEPZA signed the land lease agreements with Sri Lankan company Univogue Garments, US company Campex (BD) Limited, Chinese company Fengqun Composite Material Company Limited, and Bangladeshi company TexTrim Labels (BD) Limited during an event held at its headquarters in the capital on Saturday.
These companies will invest different sectors including manufacture garments, garment accessories, camping items, shoe accessories and packaging tools, the BEPZA sources said.
They said the companies will invest $50 million (Tk 430 crore) to establish factories at BEPZA Economic Zone (EZ) of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpa Nagar (BSMSN) in Chattogram's Mirsarai which will help generate 23,453 jobs.
Dr Ahmad Kaikaus, principal secretary to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, was present as the chief guest at the ceremony marking the first land lease agreements for BEPZA EZ.
Meanwhile, Major General Abul Kalam Mohammad Ziaur Rahman, executive chairman of BEPZA, presided over the programme.
They will be allotted some 18 plots in the EZ. This effort will generate total 23,453 jobs, reads a BEPZA press release.
According to official data, Univogue Garments will invest $36.49 million to manufacture apparel products, Fengqun Composite Material Company Limited will invest $2.2 million to produce shoe accessories and packaging items, Campex (BD) Limited will invest $10 million to make camping accessories, and TexTrim Labels (BD) Limited will inject $1.27 million for making garments accessories, transfer labels and other materials.
The BEPZA EZ has been set up on 1,150 acres of land in Mirsharai, Chattogram.
About 350 industries will be set up in 539 industrial plots. Officials said this will create employment for about four lakh people and attract investment of about $4 billion.