DHAKA: Bangladesh has announced the cancellation of the Indian Economic Zone project in Chattogram and decided to establish a Defence Economic Zone in its place.
The announcement was made by Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) Executive Chairman Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun during a press conference in Dhaka.
He said the decision was approved in a meeting of BEZA’s governing board with the aim of strengthening the country’s military and defence industrial capacity.
He explained that discussions on developing domestic defence industries, including the manufacturing of weapons and military equipment, have been ongoing for a long time.
There is global demand for such products, and Bangladesh also needs to meet its own defence requirements locally.
In this regard, coordinated work has already been underway between the Armed Forces Division, the Ministry of Defence, and the Chief Adviser’s Office.
Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud further stated that around 850 acres of vacant land have been identified for the project.
This land had been allocated to the Indian Economic Zone until June last year, after which the plan was scrapped.
The area will now be included in the master plan as a Defence Economic Zone.
He added that consultations with Bangladesh’s friendly countries are ongoing, but it is too early to determine what specific military equipment will be produced, as decisions will be made based on demand and national needs.
