Nazmul Hossain Emon, Chattogram

The investment volume around the Bangladesh-China Economic and Industrial Zone (CEIZ) in Anwara, Chittagong, will exceed one billion US dollars, said Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury.
He said that this industrial zone, built on about 800 acres of land, will bring significant changes to the economy of not only Anwara but also the entire southern Chittagong.

Along with industrialization, new supply chains, logistics,
housing and service sectors will develop in this region.
The Finance Minister made these remarks while speaking as the chief guest at the groundbreaking, infrastructure development and foundation stone laying ceremony of the Bangladesh-China Economic and Industrial Zone in Belchura area of Anwara on Monday afternoon.

The Finance Minister said that currently, there is a plan to invest 500 million US dollars in the project. However, if all types of investment, including infrastructure, are taken into account, the amount will be more than one billion dollars. This project will play an important role in the journey that the government has set to build a trillion-dollar economy by 2034.

He said the government is working towards creating 10 million jobs. It is expected that the CEIZ will create employment opportunities for more than 100,000 people directly and indirectly.

The Minister of Finance and Planning also said that once the industrial zone is operational, a strong supply chain will be built around it. New opportunities will be created for transportation, logistics, housing, service sectors, and small and medium entrepreneurs. This will bring new momentum to the economy of South Chittagong.
Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed delivered a special guest speech at the event. Present at the event were State Minister for Lands Mir Mohammad Helal Uddin, Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen, Bangladesh Economic Zone Authority (BEZA) Executive Chairman Ashiq Chowdhury, CEIZ Chairman Wang Benchian, China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) President, Chittagong-13 MP Sarwar Jamal Nizam, and representatives from the public and private sectors of the two countries.

After nearly a decade of waiting and administrative complications, the construction of the Bangladesh-China Economic and Industrial Zone has officially begun. According to project sources, the foundation of the project was laid as a government-to-government initiative during Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Bangladesh in 2016. Later, the implementation of the project was delayed for a long time due to various complications in the selection of the developer, financing and infrastructure.

The implementation of the project gained momentum after the approval of the ECNEC meeting on June 16. The total cost of the project is estimated at Tk 4,189 crore. Of this, Tk 2,467 crore will be spent from foreign loans and Tk 1,722 crore from government financing. The implementation period of the project has been set from January 2027 to December 2031.

Under the project, jetty link roads, main roads, water reservoirs, gas transmission lines, central effluent treatment plants (CETP), multipurpose jetties, solid waste collection centers, boundary walls, and power substations will be constructed.

The government expects that various high value-added industries including textiles, ready-made garments, electronics, semiconductors, telecommunication equipment, information technology, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, light engineering, chemicals, and automobiles will be developed in the CEIZ. This will further strengthen export-oriented industrialization.

Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Amirul Haque said that the logistics facilities of the CEIZ are favorable due to its proximity to the Karnaphuli Tunnel, Chittagong Port and Shah Amanat International Airport. However, to attract investment, it is important to ensure uninterrupted supply of gas, electricity and water, as well as make customs and other services more simple and effective.