Construction of Chittagong Apparel Zone is likely to start by next October at a joint initiative of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and Chittagong City Corporation (CCC). Over 20 ready-made garment (RMG) industries have applied for setting up their factories in the proposed zone to be built on the land owned by CCC. In October 2015, the CCC decided to set up the apparel zone beside Kalurghat BFIDC Road. The construction of buildings in the apparel zone will be completed within three years with financing from RMG owners concerned as per the rate of rent agreed upon by both the parties. For implementation of the apparel zone, the CCC and BGMEA on May 25, 2016 formed a ‘project implementation committee’ headed by CCC Mayor AJM Nasir Uddin as chairman and BGMEA first vice-president Moin Uddin Ahmed Minto as co-chairman. Other members of the committee include chief executive officer, secretary, chief revenue officer, architect and chief engineer of CCC and four directors of BGMEA. As per the plan of the CCC, 10 seven-storey buildings will be constructed for BGMEA on 10.36 acres of land. Each floor will have 20,000 square feet (sq ft). The CCC will allot floors among the interested factory owners for a period of 30 years, but the factories will have to renew contracts with the CCC after every five years. BGMEA sources said the buildings would be constructed following the principles of international compliance agencies such as Accord, Alliance, NAP and BNBC. Each building will have modern dinning halls on top floor and storage and warehousing facilities on the ground floor. Each building will have four stairs of eight feet wide, two stairs of 20 feet wide and a 60-feet wide entrance road. Fire equipment and waste management facilities will be installed while the buildings will have a central effluent treatment plant system, sources said. BGMEA regional office in Chittagong said it had issued a circular for allotment of spaces for the garment factories on April 06 last. Twenty industries applied in May and some others in June. The factories which have been affected due to compliance restrictions imposed by the Accord, Alliance and NAP will get priority in allotment of spaces, sources said. The factory owners will have to pay Tk 800 per sq ft in the apparel zone buildings in advance which will be adjusted with the rent after opening of the apparel zone. Kazi Mahbub Uddin Jewel, a member of the project implementation committee, hopes that construction of the apparel zone will be completed within 30 months. After completion of the construction work, CCC will hand over the zone to BGMEA, he said.
