BD becomes global investment hub despite pandemic: BEZA

Staff Correspondent:Despite slow investment flow across the world, Bangladesh is becoming a centre of global business community which will help the country achieve Vision-2041, observed newly appointed Executive Chairman of the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) Shaikh Yusuf Harun.
He said that very low labour cost, skilled manpower, favourable government policies, uninterrupted electricity supply, high productivity and political stability are turning Bangladesh into a global investment hub despite the Covid-19 pandemic.
In an interview recently, he informed that many world-renowned foreign companies are coming with big investment offers.
The works for establishing 97 economic zones across the country are going on for ensuring planned industrialization, he mentioned.
“BEZA is the best place for the planned industrialization. Despite the pandemic, Bangladesh is keeping open all sorts of services through ports, Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), BEZA and Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA). Investors from home and abroad are easily receiving the services,” he said.
Due to the pandemic, the BEZA chief said, investment in different countries is becoming difficult, but Bangladesh has kept its investment door open. Responding to a question, Shaikh Yusuf Harun said, he wants to make BEZA a more attractive place for investment by applying his long experience in the civil service.
“I have been working in the civil service for more than 32 years. I have got the opportunity to gather skills from various sectors. So, I want to use my skills to build BEZA,” he added.
He said Bangladesh will become a developed country in 2041 and for this, orgranisations, like BEZA, will have to work as per their targets.
Shaikh Yusuf Harun said BEZA has set a target to create jobs for around one crore people by establishing 100 economic zones across the country.
It has also set a target to earn an additional $40 billion by exporting goods from the economic zones, he added.
He informed that BEZA governing board has already approved the location and amount of land in 97 economic zones, of which 68 are public economic zones and 29 are private economic zones.
Out of the economic zones, he said, nine zones have already gone to production while the development of 28 zones is progressing fast.
He informed that 27 industries have gone to production while construction works of 39 industries are ongoing.
He said the economic zones have already created around 41 thousand employment opportunities.
The BEZA chief said BEZA has also introduced the One Stop Service (OSS) center for providing all necessary services to the investors of the country at a single window.
Now, he informed, BEZA is providing a total of 125 services under OSS centre. Out of the services, investors are now getting 48 services through online, he added.