Plot allocation at the Patuakhali Export Processing Zone (EPZ) will start in early 2026, as the project's construction is scheduled to be completed by June of 2025, said Md Saifullah Panna, secretary to the Chief Adviser's Office.

He also highlighted the necessary initiatives, including road development, to make the EPZ more investment-friendly.

Panna made the comments during a visit to the special zone today to inspect the progress of the construction work on the project approved on August 29, 2023.

The Patuakhali EPZ, which is being constructed at a cost of Tk 1,443 crore, is set to feature 306 industrial plots, said Md Ashraful Kabir, project director.

Of the project cost, the government extended Tk 1,105 crore and Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (Bepza) Tk 338 crore, he said.

The EPZ, which spans 410.78 acres of land in Pachakoralia village of Auliapur union under Patuakhali sadar upazila, is expected to create employment opportunities for around one lakh people, Kabir added.

The EPZ, for which an 'Investors' Club' is being constructed on 2.25 acres of land in Kuakata under the same project, is expected to significantly improve the socio-economic condition of the local population, project officials said.

The infrastructures being developed under the Patuakhali EPZ project include 3.15 lakh metres of roads, around 30,000 metres of drainage, four six-story factory buildings, three 10-story office buildings, four six-story and three 10-story residential buildings, zone office, customs office, and security office, a helipad and 54 rehabilitation houses for landowners affected by the project.

The project will also have substations inside its boundary to ensure uninterrupted power supply, the officials said.

The proximity of the Patuakhali EPZ to the Payra seaport is positioned as a key player in the region's industrial growth, said Mohammad Mosharraf Hossain, managing director of Liberty Group, one of the leading industrial firms of the country.

However, he emphasised the need to widen the connecting roads, improve connectivity and ensure a reliable gas supply to the EPZ to attract more investors, he said.

Currently, Bangladesh has eight operational EPZs.