Bangladesh's export processing zones attract about US$3 million in investment for every acre of land, and each acre generates an annual return of about Tk 13.82 crore, the Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA) says.

The figures were presented at a “Meet the Investors” event BEPZA held in Chattogram on Saturday, which drew more than 100 local and foreign investors from the Chattogram, Karnaphuli and Cumilla EPZs and the two BEPZA economic zones.

BEPZA Executive Chairman Major General Mohammad Moazzem Hossain said the authority wanted to strengthen partnerships with investors, address their concerns and make the investment environment more competitive and business-friendly.

He pointed to global trade uncertainty, disruptions in energy markets and supply chains, and rising business costs, and praised investors for staying on despite power and infrastructure challenges.

The executive chairman said declaring BEPZA Economic Zone-1 and Zone-2, Jashore EPZ and Patuakhali EPZ as full-fledged zones was a significant milestone, and urged investors to expand there with their supply-chain partners.

In the 2025-26 fiscal year, BEPZA signed investment agreements with 36 enterprises, while exports from its zones reached $8.41 billion, up 2.22 per cent on the previous year. Officials also discussed workers' welfare, labour-law reform and the Employment Injury Scheme, along with the authority's 45 online services and a 24-hour helpline for investors.

BEPZA, set up in 1980, oversees eight EPZs and two economic zones with investors from 38 countries. Total investment in the zones stands at about $7.5 billion and cumulative exports at about $130 billion; the zones account for roughly 20 per cent of Bangladesh's exports and the authority for 19.17 per cent of the country's foreign direct investment, according to the press release.