The authorities concerned have started groundwork for establishing an economic zone in Bogra to explore industrial potentiality of the area. Meanwhile, the local district administration has already selected over 251 acres of land in Shahjahanpur upazila in Bogra, 11 kilometer away from the city for the establishment of the proposed site. The place is located just beside the Bogra-Natore highway. The office of Deputy Commissioner (DC) has already sent a proposal to Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA), seeking approval for land acquisition. The government needs to spend over Tk289 crore for land acquisition. Once the proposal is approved, the district administration will start land acquisition work for construction of the special economic zone, said officials. BEZA Executive Chairman Paban Chowdhury said: “The location, which has primarily been selected, is not only have potentiality for agro-based business but also for small engineering plants and export-oriented industries.” “North Bengal is a good hub of agricultural business. In addition, the existing small engineering plants, which are advancing fast, will get a boost once the economic zone is built there,” said Chowdhury. BEZA officials stated that Bogra district administration began the groundwork in line with the promise made by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during her recent visit. During her visit to Bogra on November 12, Hasina said an economic zone would be developed in Bogra to create employment opportunity for the youth and economic development of the area. While asked, Bogra Shahjanapur Upazila Chairman Sarker Badol told the Dhaka Tribune that the agricultural machinery and equipment producing industry would be developed once the special economic zone is built in Bogra. “Majority of the demands of country’s agri-equipments are met from Bogra. Currently, the productions are done from different areas in a scattered way so we were demanding to bring all this under a single platform,’’ said Badol, also president of Bogra unit of Bangladesh Agricultural Machinery Merchants Association. He also said: “Establishment of the economic zone in Shahjahanpur will not only help us to assemble and reduce import dependency, but to export those products once it is established.”
