The Meghna Group has obtained an operating licence to set-up the country’s first ever private sector economic zone (EZ) at Meghna Ghat on the outskirts of Dhaka city. Bangladesh Economic Zone Authority (BEZA) awarded the licence at a programme held at the BEZA office on Tuesday. The applicant, an industrial giant of the country, fulfilled all the conditions of pre-qualification, a BEZA press release said. BEZA executive chairman Paban Chowdhury presided over the programme that included others including executive members Dr Md Emdadul Haque, Mohammad Abdus Samad and Hariprashad Pal. Meghna Group Chairman and Managing Director Mostafa Kamal was also present on the occasion. Meghna Group obtained the pre-qualification licence for Meghna Economic Zone Ltd on October 18, 2015. The intended location for the facility is a 245-acre block of land at Meghna Ghat, Sonargaon in Narayangan, near the Dhaka-Chittagong highway. Since then, the group has developed infrastructure in the 67.92 acres of land including the erection of boundary walls and raising the bases among other facilities. By the end of this year, Meghna Group will start trial production in Meghna Pulp and Paper Mills and Meghna Edible Oil Ltd, concerns that cost Tk 6 billion and Tk 2 billion respectively. After the completion of this economic zone, at least 3,000 people could potentially be employed directly by the first year of operation, while 30,000 other could be employed within 5 years of completion, the programme said. BEZA has awarded pre-qualification licences to 8 companies to set up 10 private sector economic zones.
