CEIZ to help Bangladesh boost its export capacity, generate employment: Envoy Yao

"China stands ready to work with Bangladesh to press ahead with the Zone’s construction efficiently, attract more high-quality enterprises, and build a landmark project under high-quality Belt and Road cooperation," he said while attending the groundbreaking ceremony of the Chinese Economic and Industrial Zone in Chattogram.

The Ambassador attend the groundbreaking ceremony of the Chinese Economic and Industrial Zone (CEIZ) on Monday and met with representatives of Chinese enterprises intending to settle in the Zone.

Ambassador Yao said the groundbreaking of the CEIZ marks a key step to deliver the outcomes of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s visit to China.

Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, State Minister for Land and Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Mohammed Helal Uddin, Executive Chairman of the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun, local dignitaries, residents and representatives of Chinese companies attended the ceremony.

The CEIZ is a flagship project for Bangladesh to attract foreign investment and advance industrialization.

Officials expressed hope to expand practical bilateral cooperation via the Zone, address the country’s development bottlenecks and deliver benefits to local people.

CEIZ, one of the key projects underpinning industrial, trade and investment cooperation between Bangladesh and China, is being developed on approximately 800 acres of land.

Implemented under a Government-to-Government (G2G) initiative, the economic zone will play an important role in attracting large-scale Chinese investment to Bangladesh, supporting export-oriented industrialisation, generating employment and developing modern industrial infrastructure.

The initiative followed the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two countries during the visit of Xi Jinping, President of China, to Bangladesh in 2016. History

Once implemented, the project is expected to attract approximately USD 1.3 billion in investment and create more than 100,000 jobs, BIDA said.

CEIZ is seen as a major milestone in developing Chattogram as a modern industrial and logistics hub and advancing Bangladesh-China economic cooperation.

Li Changgui, Vice President of China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), the developer of CEIZ, and Wang Benqian, Chairman of Bangladesh CEIZ Company Limited (BCCL), also addressed the event.

Around 70 representatives of Chinese businesses, comprising existing and potential investors in Bangladesh across a range of sectors, joined the ceremony.

Several sub-lease agreements were signed at the event, and the CEIZ One Stop Service Centre was inaugurated. The formal commencement of construction was marked through a ceremonial tree plantation.

Li Changgui said, “Today’s groundbreaking marks a new phase in the project and carries new missions and responsibilities. CRBC will work closely with all partners to fully advance the construction and operation of the zone, striving to build CEIZ a key platform for bilateral industrial cooperation, a major destination for international investment, and a model zone of mutual benefit. We aim to make new and greater contributions to the common development of both countries.”

‍Finance Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury said, “All of us are working towards one thing. That is investment. It is the only thing that is going to drive the development. It is the only thing that is going to create employment. And it is the only thing that is going to lead to the trillion dollar economy in 2034."

He said today's development of China's economic and industrial zone is the building block towards the ambition that this government has for the future of Bangladesh's economy.

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said, “To our foreign and domestic investors, let me be clear. Bangladesh is open for business and we mean business. Today's groundbreaking is not just the start-up construction, it is the founding of a lasting economic bridge between Bangladesh and China. Together, let us build a zone that affects new standards of living, drives sustainable growth and creates a prosperous future for the generations to come.”

BEZA Executive Chairman said after the Prime Minister's visit to Beijing and Dalian in June, more than 30 Chinese companies have committed roughly half a billion dollars to a site that, as of this morning, is still open ground.

"Typically, opening a factory or getting a licence from your machinery in Bangladesh takes roughly six months to a year. We have already committed that within the next three months, we will roll out a process within which you will be able to get it done within 14 days. That is a material shift from what you have seen for decades in Bangladesh.” 

On 17 June 2026, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the Development Agreement and Land Lease Agreement with Bangladesh CEIZ Company Limited, established to implement the project.

The Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) will hold a 30 per cent stake in the company, while China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) will hold 70 per cent.

As BEZA’s equity contribution, the 50-year lease value of the acquired land has been incorporated as equity, while the developer will contribute its share in cash.

The capital will be used for internal development, infrastructure construction and operation of the zone.

To ensure a world-class industrial environment at CEIZ, the Supporting Infrastructure Project for Chinese Economic and Industrial Zone was approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on 16 June 2026.

According to the Development Project Proposal (DPP), the total project cost is approximately Tk 41.89 billion.

Of this, around Tk 24.67 billion is expected to be financed through foreign loan assistance and approximately Tk 17.22 billion through Government of Bangladesh funding. 

The foreign financing component is proposed to be secured under the Preferential Buyer’s Credit (PBC) facility of the Export-Import Bank of China.

Implementation of the infrastructure project will provide CEIZ with the international-standard supporting infrastructure required for industrial operations, including gas, electricity, water, waste management, transport and jetty facilities.

A tripartite agreement has already been signed among BEZA, Chattogram WASA (CWASA) and CRBC to ensure water supply to the zone, reports UNB.

The project implementation period has been set from January 2027 to December 2031. Its proximity to the Karnaphuli Tunnel, Chattogram Port and Shah Amanat International Airport gives the zone significant locational and connectivity advantages, BIDA said.