The Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority on Thursday signed land lease agreements with four companies to establish industries in the BEPZA Economic Zone at Mirsharai in Chattogram.
The agreements represent a total proposed investment of $111.26 million, creating employment opportunities for 7,607 Bangladeshi nationals, said a press release.
Of the four investors, three are fully foreign-owned 鈥� from China, Singapore and a China-Singapore joint ownership 鈥� while one is a Bangladeshi company.
The new ventures will operate in footwear, leather processing, testing services and garment accessories sectors.
Md Ashraful Kabir, member (investment promotion), signed the agreements on behalf of BEPZA, while Liao Weijun, chairman of Tai Ma Shoes (BD) Co, Ltd; Zhang Guangxin, general manager of Bangladesh Songshin Leather Co, Ltd; Hu Xinlin, general manager of Annray Holding (BD) Co, Ltd; and Md Morshed Khan, managing director of Wraptox Industries Limited, signed on behalf of their respective companies.
BEPZA executive chairman Major General Mohammad Moazzem Hossain witnessed the signing ceremony as chief guest.
Among the signatories, the largest investment comes from Tai Ma Shoes (BD), a Chinese company, which will invest $55.05 million to establish a footwear manufacturing industry. The factory will produce 7 million pairs of formal and casual shoes annually and create 5,900 jobs.
Bangladesh Songshin Leather, a Singaporean company, will invest $25.03 million to set up a leather processing factory. The company will produce 36 million square feet of finished leather annually from crust leather and create employment opportunities for 480 Bangladeshi nationals.
Annray Holding (BD), a China鈥揝ingapore jointly owned company, will invest $20.03 million to establish a service-oriented testing laboratory, offering finished product and raw material testing facilities to industries across Bangladesh, particularly those in BEPZA EZ. The company will employ 770 personnel in this testing facility.
Wraptox Industries, a Bangladeshi company, will invest $11.15 million to produce garment accessories such as labels, tags, tapes, and printing and packaging materials, with an annual production target of 20,000 tonnes, creating 457 jobs.
The signing ceremony was attended by Abdullah Al Mamun, member (engineering); ANM Foyzul Haque, member (finance); Lieutenant Colonel Mohammad Arifur Rahaman, executive director (security); Samir Biswas, executive director (admin); and ASM Anwar Parvez, executive director (public relations), along with senior officials of BEPZA and representatives of the four companies.
