Goods worth about US$ 31.724 billion were exported from the country’s Export Processing Zones (EPZs) during the last 7 years (2009-2015).The growth rate is 187.47 per cent, official sources said. The country’s eight EPZs, located in different regions of the country, also attracted US$ 2.238 billion investments during the period creating employment opportunities for about 2.331 million people. An evaluation of the Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA) on the performance of its EPZs during the last seven years since the present government took over the office, revealed the statistics. According to official sources, investors from 38 countries have so far invested US$ 3.75 billion in 453 operating and 59 under-implementing factories and goods worth about 49.32 billion were exported from the factories in EPZs. Of these operating units, 248 industries have been set up with foreign direct investment, 66 industries are joint ventures, and 131 industries are from Bangladesh. Till now, a total of 4.201 million people were employed in the eight EPZs. The EPZs are located in Chittagong, Dhaka, Mongla, Ishwardi, Comilla, Uttara, Adamjee, and Karnaphuli, The major industries in the EPZs included readymade garments (109) employing some 247,118 people followed by garment accessories (86) with 21,071 people, textiles (40) with 24,858 people, knitting and other textiles (36) with 31,120 people, footwear and leather goods (30) with 31,147 people and terry towel (18) with 8,057 people. These industries are producing goods for various world famous companies like Nike, Reebok, Lafuma, H&M, JC Penny, Wal-Mart, Mother Care, Lee, Adidas, Miles etc. Till now some 38 countries including South Korea, Japan, China, Malaysia, Taiwan, the US, the UK, Italy, Canada, the Netherlands, Germany, British Virgin Island, India, Sweden, Singapore, Pakistan, Panama, Switzerland, Belgium, Denmark, France, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Australia, Nepal, Mauritius, Ireland, the UAE, Turkey, Ukraine, Marshal Island, Kuwait, Spain, Malta and Romania have invested in the EPZs. More foreign investors are looking for spaces in the EPZs because of its competitive advantages. The EPZs in Bangladesh are renowned for competitive wage and most attractive investment friendly production base in Asia. The changing global economic scenario is prompting investors from industrially developed countries including China to reassess their investment strategies and plan for relocating their industries in a suitable place. These changes are creating opportunities for Bangladesh to attract higher levels of FDI. China, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia are experiencing higher wages and rising production costs that are making them more expensive, compelling foreign investors are keen to relocate their industries in Bangladesh’s EPZs. But the authorities, sources said, can not accommodate more entrepreneurs due to acute scarcity of land in the EPZs. Expansion programme is going on in the EPZS but these are not sufficient to accommodate more foreign investment.
