A policy decision has been taken to designate around 500 acres of land in Mirsharai, Chattogram—previously earmarked as an Indian Economic Zone—as a Defence Industrial Zone.
The decision was disclosed on Monday at a press briefing held at the Bangladesh Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka by Bangladesh Investment Development Authority Executive Chairman Ashik Chowdhury.
He said the land would be incorporated into the master plan of the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority and would be used in the future for defence industry–based manufacturing activities.
According to Ashik Chowdhury, discussions within the government on defence industrial production, or military manufacturing, have been ongoing for a long time. From an economic perspective, there is currently global demand in this sector, and as the industry continues to expand, Bangladesh could position itself as a participating country.
Referring to the global security situation, he said that in some cases it is essential to have domestic production capability, or captive capacity. When supply disruptions occur, the lack of essential equipment can complicate the conduct of military operations. In several recent conflicts, shortages have not always been in high-tech weapons, but in basic items such as bullets or tank axles.
He added that the Armed Forces Division, Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority, the Chief Adviser’s Office and the Ministry of Defence are working jointly to implement the initiative. The proposal has already received approval at a governing board meeting of the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority.
Ashik Chowdhury said the designated land is currently vacant. Until June last year, it had been marked as an Indian Economic Zone. Following the cancellation of the related project, the opportunity arose to repurpose the land, leading to the decision to designate it as a Defence Industrial Zone.
Stakeholders said that if implemented, the move could enhance local production capacity in the defence sector, while also creating investment and employment opportunities in related supply chains and manufacturing, and potentially reducing import dependence for certain products.
