China, Korea and Japan Get Dedicated BEPZA Investor Services
BEPZA inaugurated dedicated investor desks for China, South Korea and Japan at its “Meet the Investors” event in Dhaka on October 10.
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In a Nutshell
- BEPZA inaugurated dedicated investor desks for China, South Korea and Japan at its “Meet the Investors” event in Dhaka on October 10.
- The desks will offer tailored information, guidance and direct support to current and prospective investors, aiming to make investment procedures smoother.
- China, South Korea and Japan are BEPZA’s three largest investor-country sources among investors from 38 countries operating in its eight EPZs and two economic zones.
- In FY2025–26, BEPZA signed agreements with 36 enterprises, involving a proposed investment of $717.71 million—the authority’s highest single-year investment commitment.
- Exports from BEPZA-managed zones reached $8.41 billion in FY2025–26, up 2.22% year on year and equivalent to 17.51% of Bangladesh’s $48 billion exports.
- BEPZA is promoting expansion into its newer zones in Jashore and Patuakhali while highlighting infrastructure, labour relations, worker welfare and one-stop investor services.
Context
Established in 1980, BEPZA is Bangladesh’s principal authority for export processing zones and industrial areas designed to attract export-oriented investment. Its zones have drawn roughly $7.5 billion in investment and generated about $130 billion in cumulative exports; investors from 38 countries are active there. BEPZA’s official figures put FY2025–26 zone exports at $8.41 billion, showing the importance of these areas to Bangladesh’s export economy.
Why It Matters
The desks formalise a more targeted approach to retaining and expanding investment from three economies that are already central to BEPZA’s industrial base. China provides manufacturing scale and supply-chain links; South Korean and Japanese firms bring established experience in export manufacturing, technology and standards-based production.
The immediate economic case is strong: BEPZA zones produced $8.41 billion in exports in FY2025–26, accounting for 17.51% of national exports, even as the authority seeks tenants for newer sites. But faster investor services alone will not determine outcomes. Investors at the event cited infrastructure and simpler policies as factors influencing South Korean investment decisions.
The desks, therefore, create a channel for resolving practical bottlenecks, while also signalling Bangladesh’s competition for export-oriented factories in a region where investors have alternative locations.
What We Think
Bangladesh’s opportunity lies in using the desks as problem-solving units rather than ceremonial liaison offices. The FY2025–26 agreements covered 36 companies and $717.71 million in proposed investment, but commitments become economic gains only when factories receive reliable utilities, predictable approvals, logistics links and stable labour relations.
A country-specific model can help identify recurring obstacles by investor group, yet equal attention to transparency and uniform rules remains important so that special access does not replace systemic reform.