Majhar Mannan :
Bangladesh is continuing its efforts to emerge as a developed country and fulfilling the dream of its founder is just now a matter of time. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Industrial City is one of the development initiatives of the present government.
It is being developed on an area of 137 sq km along the Sandwip Channel in the coastal area of the Bay of Bengal. The work of this industrial city is going on in Sitakunda, Mirsarai of Chittagong and Sonagazi Upazila of Feni and its area will be 33805 acres and 41 percent or 14000 acres of it will be only factory area. The remaining 59% of the area will have open space, afforestation, port facilities, housing, health, training and recreation centers. The distance of this industrial zone is 70 kilometers from Chittagong port and airport and its distance from Dhaka is 200 kilometers. This industrial city will contain heavy, medium and light Industrial area, ports, commercial area, residential area, modern city, healthcare, infrastructure, education infrastructure, green economic zone and leisure center and reservoir. The proposed investment of 153 domestic and foreign industries is 20 billion. There are 31 companies awaiting the agreement and about 1.5 million people will be employed in this industrial city. Notable foreign investors are Japan, China, United Kingdom, Singapore, India, Norway, Germany, South Korea, the Netherlands and Australia. Investment sectors are garments, steel, automobiles, electronics, medicines, chemicals, plastics, ceramics, agro-processed products, food products, etc.
Bangabandhu Industrial City has received more investment than any other economic region in the country. Extensive master plan has been adopted to prepare Bangabandhu Industrial City and if this master plan can be implemented in real sense, it is said that huge amount of investment will be made in it. Gas, electricity, water and communication systems are most needed to build a big industrial city and Bangladesh is paying due attention to all these areas and these development works are going well. The Bangladesh government wants to establish 100 economic zones by 2030 and plans to employ about 10 million people in these 100 economic zones, which will lead to reduce unemployment rates. These economic zones will create huge export opportunities and increase investment and enrich the economy. To keep the manufacturing sector ahead in the global competition, many industrial zones are being set up near the port city Chattogram.
The closer the port facility is to the industrial zone, the more time and cost will be saved in importing and exporting raw materials. Bangabandhu Industrial City is being constructed near Chittagong Port and there will be all kinds of facilities to travel from Chittagong Port to the industrial city. The great example of industrialization around the port is the Bangabandhu Industrial City and Maheshkhali Economic Zone. These two are being touted as flagship projects in 100 economic zones and initiatives are being taken to attract investment from all economic zones centered on the port. The construction of Matarbari Deep Sea Port Terminal next to Maheshkhali Economic Zone is in full swing. The government has plans to build a port next to Bangabandhu Industrial City. Many factories in Bangabandhu Industrial City will start production from next year and in that case they will have to rely on Chittagong port BEPZA and BGMEA have taken land in Bangabandhu Industrial City and now it is learned that huge investment is coming in the industrial city in the garment and textile sector.
However, the authorities have to face many challenges to build this vast economic zone of the country. Providing clean water in such a large industrial area is a huge challenge. The work is being done perfectly by the concerned authorities and the Government of Bangladesh. This industrial city will be one of the tools of economic prosperity of Bangladesh which will enable the country to integrate itself in the developed countries very soon and Bangladesh will be one of the role models in the world. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman dreamed of building an industrially rich Bangladesh and his worthy daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is going to fulfill that dream. Well-planned industrialization takes a country forward economically and Bangabandhu Industrial City is going to be a big part of that well-planned industrialization.
However, to attract a large amount of domestic and foreign investment, Bangabandhu Industrial City will be a mammoth industrial city that will play a keen role in shaping the future of Bangladesh.
(Majhar Mannan is Assistant Professor, B A F Shaheen College Kurmitola, Dhaka Cantonment).
