A Special Economic Zone (SEZ) will be set up in Nilphamari to preserve agro products and process food. The site of the SEZ has been selected at Subornokhuli Kadikhola village in Sadar upazila, 10 kilometres south of Nilphamari municipality. Sources said the entrepreneurs would establish industries there to process and preserve agro products and fruits. At present, 35 per cent of fruits such as mango, jackfruit, pineapple and vegetables like cauliflower, cabbage, potato are perished due to absence of preservation facility, they said. SEZ sources said initial construction work on the special economic zone has already started. The zone would be set up on 357 acres of land including 106 acres of government khas land. The rest 251 acres of land would have to be acquired. The process of acquiring land has also started. Sources said approximately Tk 7,000 million would be needed for infrastructure development of the SEZ such as approach road, electricity and gas connection facility, earth filling, making industrial plots and construction of administrative buildings. Sources said the SEZ would ensure food security and health security as well.
