Investments in the country’s Export Processing Zones (EPZs) amounted to US$406.35 million in the fiscal year 2014-15, up by US$ 3.77 million a year ago. In the FY 2012-13, the figure was US$ 402.58 million, the Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA), the zones regulator said Tuesday. The investment scenario is ‘encouraging’ despite scarcity of adequate plots for setting up industries in most of the lucrative EPZs in Dhaka and Chittagong, it said in a statement. As of June 2015, the cumulative investment stood at US$ 3594.42 million in the operating and under construction enterprise of the eight EPZs in the country. In the FY 2014-15, Chittagong EPZ got investment worth US$ 152.02 million while Dhaka EPZ US$ 84.02 million, Karnaphuli EPZ US$ 64.81 million, Adamjee EPZ US$ 48.51 million, Comilla EPZ US$ 23.41 million, Uttara EPZ US$ 19.89 million, Ishwardi EPZ US$ 5.42 million and Mongla EPZ US$ 8.27 million. In the previous FY, 2013-14, Chittagong EPZ achieved investment worth US$ 109.46 million. The amount was US$ 125.79 million in Dhaka EPZ, US$ 44.67 million in Karnaphuli EPZ, US$ 73.75 million in Adamjee EPZ, US$ 17.27 million in Uttara EPZ, US$ 23.39 million in Comilla EPZ, US$ 3.15 million in Ishwardi EPZ and US$ 5.10 million in Mongla EPZ. The BEPZA signed an investment agreement with 19 new companies in the last fiscal year, said the statement. The companies will invest US$ 205.48 million in setting up their industrial units, which will create employment opportunities for 36,042 people in the country.
