DHAKA, June 17 (Xinhua) -- The Bangladeshi government has given the go-ahead to a proposal for the establishment of its first two free trade zones in the southeastern Chattogram region situated at the apex of the Bay of Bengal.
Bangladesh's Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on Wednesday greenlit the proposal at a meeting in Dhaka.
"The initiative aims at accelerating economic growth, expanding international trade, attracting foreign investment, and boosting port-based economic activities," Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Ghani told journalists after the meeting.
He said the government plans to initially develop the two zones on about 600 acres of land, allocating roughly 300 acres near a deep-sea port in the Matarbari area located in the Cox's Bazar district under the Chattogram region, and the remainder near the country's premier Chattogram seaport.
He said that detailed project plans, investment structures and operational modalities would be finalized in the next phase. ■
