The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Experts at a media briefing session yesterday emphasised the need for planned industrialisation instead of the present disorganised and haphazard manner and focused on the importance of Economic Zones and Special Economic Zones to accelerate the pace of industrialisation

The IFC Bangladesh organised the presentation where IFC Investment Policy Analyst Mustafizul Hye Shakir defined economic zone as a geographically delimited area with a special regime and a single administration that delivers services to zone tenants on a day-to-day basis. He described the benefits of economic zones and success and failure aspects of the special areas.

Senior Programme Manager of IFC BICF Syed Akhter Mahmood, Programme Manager Martin Maxwell Norman and International Expert on Economic Zones Deborah Porte also spoke on the occasion.

At the session participant journalists questioned the necessity of establishing more economic zones and inviting new foreign investments when the government is unable to provide energy, power and other facilities to the existing enterprises.

Syed Akhter Mahmood said the government is not going to stop any further investments due to gas and power crisis. "The government, of course, will find out alternative sources of energy and new investments will come. So, it is a matter whether we want industrialisation on an organised way or not," he said.

The meeting was informed that the Council of Advisers has approve the Economic Zones Ordinance in principle two months back and the final approval will come shortly.