Staff Correspondent:

The contribution of Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA) to the national export increased to 17.03 percent in the fiscal year 2024-25 (FY25), up from 15.9 percent in fiscal year 2023-24.

In FY25, the Export Processing Zones (EPZs) and BEPZA Economic Zone exported goods worth US$ 8.22 billion which is 16.22 percent higher than the $7.07 billion exported in FY 2023-24, said a press release on Wednesday.

During this period, more than 33,000 new employment opportunities were created.

Since its inception, BEPZA exported goods worth $119 billion. Products manufactured in the EPZs are exported to more than 120 countries across the globe.

In addition, agreements signed with new enterprises have paved the way for increased investments in the coming days.

Furthermore, the employments generation in BEPZA-administered zones is consistently increasing. As of June 2025, a total of 533,527 Bangladeshi nationals are employed in 8 EPZs and the BEPZA Economic Zone while the number was 500,110 in June 2024. This increase in employment has been made possible by the commencement of operations by new enterprises and expansion of activities in existing industries.

In FY 2024-25, enterprises operating within BEPZA’s EPZs and Economic Zone invested US$ 292.77 million in capital machinery, construction materials, and other fixed assets (excluding working capital). This figure is slightly lower than the US$ 350.93 million invested in FY 2023-24. BEPZA views this as a temporary slowdown linked to global and local adjustments. The Authority remains optimistic that the groundwork laid during this period will drive a rebound in investment in the coming quarters.

The signing of 33 new investment agreements in FY 2024-25 marks a significant milestone for BEPZA. Investors from China, South Korea, the United Kingdom, Ireland, the British Virgin Islands, Singapore, India, the United Arab Emirates, and Bangladesh entered into agreements to set up industrial units.

The total proposed investment under these agreements is US$ 497.48 million, with an estimated employment potential of 59,408 Bangladeshi nationals. These enterprises will produce a wide range of goods, including readymade garments, electronics, agro-based products, footwear, leather goods, packaging materials, tents, wigs, light engineering products, toys, and composite items. Once operational, these investments are expected to accelerate the actual investment inflow in FY 2025-26.

At present, there are 563 industrial units under BEPZA, of which 450 are operational and 113 are under implementation. Among the operational enterprises, 33% produce readymade garments, 18% garment accessories, and 9% textile products. The remaining 40% export a wide variety of goods ranging from electronics and medical equipment to furniture and fashion accessories.

Mentionable that BEPZA currently operates 8 EPZs across the country and the BEPZA Economic Zone in Mirsarai, Chattogram. Additionally, to attract more investment, the development of two new EPZs in Jashore and Patuakhali is progressing rapidly. BEPZA expects to begin plot allocation for investors in these zones by next year.