The ‘garment village’, which is now under construction in Mirsharai in Chittagong district, now appears realistic as the land development and power connection work has already been completed.
Also called ‘apparel village’, the major works on establishing the connecting roads and gas pipeline is also in the final stage.
Besides, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Export Association (BGMEA), an organization of garment exporters, has given Tk 100 crore to Bangladesh Economic Zone Authority (BEZA) for the development of the exclusive garments industrial zone in Chittagong. Through this, an industrial city planned for the largest export oriented industrial sector of the country is being established in Bangabandhu Industrial City.
To meet the future increasing demand and to increase apparel exports to reach an estimated $50 billion exports from ready-made garments alone, the garment industrial park is being established which is also expected to create some three lakh employment opportunities.
During 2018, BGMEA and BEZA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to lease out 500 acres of land at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpa Nagar (BSMSN) in Chittagong for developing a garments park.
A total of 72 small and big industries applied for land there. Most of these allocations have been completed. Soon these industrial organisations can start their construction work there.
BEZA executive chairman Paban Chowdhury earlier told Bangladesh Post that, “Bangabandhu Shipa Nagar is the most unique one among the economic zones in the country. Due to its geographic location and other facilities it would invite huge investment and create employment opportunities.”
“The economic zone is the biggest addition for the garment industry. A total of 500 acres of land have been allotted for constructing garment park there, which will be the country’s biggest garment park,” he added.
The industrial city is being developed on around 30,000 acres of land touching three upazilas- Mirsarai, Sitakundu and Sonagazi- under Chattogram and Feni districts respectively. It is located at the mouth of river Feni covering 25 kilometers of coast lines of Sandeep channel of the Bay of Bengal. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina laid the foundation stone of the EZ on February 28, 2016.
When connected, BGMEA Director Anjan Shekhar Das told Bangladesh Post, “Indeed we need such specific space for our garment sector. We all are aware that several countries shifting their investment from China and now focusing on other Asian countries. We are hopeful that we can bring a few of them to our country through this initiative”.
