Published :
Updated :
For all latest news, follow The Financial Express Google News channel.
Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury has outlined the government’s plan to establish four new export processing zones (EPZs).
While placing the national budget for the fiscal year 2026-27 in the parliament on Thursday, the minister said, “Work is already underway to set up new EPZs in Patuakhali and Jashore districts, while two more EPZs in Gaibandha and Sirajganj are in the pipeline.”
He said the move will promote balanced regional industrialisation, attract investment and create large-scale employment opportunities across the country.
"The Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA) is currently operating industrial activities in eight Export Processing Zones (EPZs) and two Economic Zones (EZs)," the finance minister said in his budget speech.
He noted that the zones have achieved significant success in industrialisation, employment generation and foreign exchange earnings through improved infrastructure, investment-friendly policies and efficient management.
"To ensure balanced regional development across the country, work is underway to establish new EPZs in Patuakhali and Jashore districts," he told Parliament.
According to the finance minister, the proposed Patuakhali EPZ is expected to create employment opportunities for nearly 100,000 people, while the Jashore EPZ is projected to generate jobs for around 150,000 people.
"In addition, the establishment of Rangpur EPZ in Gaibandha district and Sirajganj EPZ in Sirajganj district is currently in the pipeline," he added.
The move comes as the government seeks to expand industrial activities beyond traditional manufacturing hubs and stimulate investment and job creation in relatively less-developed regions.
Earlier, NBP’s election manifesto had called for “rapid development of economic zones and implementation of new industrial parks” as a key plank of its job-creation agenda.
The budget also frames employment generation as one of the four guiding principles for all public investment decisions: “Job Creation: assessing each investment in terms of its potential to employment generation” — a framing that traces directly to the manifesto’s declaration that “highest priority to job creation” would be BNP’s “first and foremost priority from day one.”
newsmanjasi@gmail.com