The government plans to connect agriculture in northern Bangladesh with export-oriented industry instead of limiting it to food production. It has identified Joypurhat and Bogura as possible locations for agricultural economic zones, including Tarapani in Khetlal upazila and Talora municipality in Dupchanchia upazila. The plan is part of the Agriculture Ministry’s programme to implement the BNP-led government’s election manifesto. The zones would combine production, collection, storage, processing, packaging and export infrastructure.
Officials say the plan could create new economic opportunities, fairer prices for farmers, local factories, investment and jobs. The decisions were made at a review meeting chaired by Agriculture Secretary Md Selim Khan.
Representatives of the Agriculture Ministry, Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority and other agencies attended. Participants said an agricultural economic zone would be more useful than an agricultural processing zone, according to the ministry’s meeting papers.
Joypurhat is a major farming district producing rice, potatoes, maize, mustard, vegetables and seasonal crops. Better storage, sorting, quality-control, packaging and food-processing facilities near farms could reduce waste and help meet domestic and international demand.
Tarapani mouza in Bortara union of Khetlal upazila has been identified as a promising site. The district administration has sent land information according to Invest Bangladesh’s checklist, and the meeting decided to begin a feasibility study.
Bogura is an important agricultural and commercial centre. Its production, markets and transport network provide a base for agro-industrial development. Talora municipality in Dupchanchia upazila is being considered as another possible site, subject to information being submitted under the Invest Bangladesh checklist.
From production to exports
The aim is not simply to build factories but to link agriculture with industry, technology, investment and international trade. Planned facilities could include collection and sorting centres, cold storage, food-processing factories, packaging, laboratories, quality control and export infrastructure.
Processing potatoes into food products, fruit into juice and pulp, and vegetables into frozen or processed food could add value. Contract farming, quality seeds and modern production technology could strengthen direct business links between farmers and factories, but fair prices and environmentally responsible industry would be essential.
Why an economic zone, not an EPZ
The meeting favoured an agricultural economic zone over an export processing zone. Agriculture Secretary Selim Khan said an export-processing zone would require 90 percent of its products to be exported, making an economic zone more practical. He said the ministry was implementing the prime minister’s directive.
The proposed zones could serve both domestic and export markets. Saleh Ahmed, an additional secretary and member of Invest Bangladesh, said the proposed sites should undergo feasibility studies before a final location was chosen. He said a single-source study could be carried out by the Infrastructure Investment Facilitation Company or the Military Institute of Science and Technology.
After the study, a development project proposal could be prepared and further work begun.
Panchagarh and other districts considered
The plan is not limited to Joypurhat and Bogura. The meeting also requested land information from Gaibandha, Rangpur, Dinajpur, Panchagarh, Rajshahi and other northern districts. Panchagarh has 217.78 acres of non-agricultural khas land already allocated to the former Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority, now Invest Bangladesh. The authority will be asked whether an agricultural economic zone could be established there.
Feasibility is the next test
The feasibility studies must examine land and ownership, transport, electricity and gas, water, waste management, supplies of farm products, markets and investment potential. Researchers must also determine which agro-industries would be most viable at each site.
The Agriculture Ministry will prepare terms of reference for selecting a contractor, with support from Invest Bangladesh. A development proposal will follow a technical, financial and environmental assessment.
Officials say the initiative could connect northern agriculture to international markets. Its success will depend on realistic site selection, adequate infrastructure, private investment and effective links between farmers and industry.
Selim Khan told Dhaka Post that the initiative would coordinate production, processing and exports while diversifying northern agriculture, creating jobs and increasing agriculture’s contribution to the national economy.
Agriculture department data cited at the meeting say the area produces about 10 million vegetable seedlings each season, with an estimated value of about Tk 10 crore. The officials said traders and workers at several stages also depend on the sector.
The proposed sites would be assessed against the local supply of rice, potatoes, maize, vegetables and fruit, as well as their seasonal availability and likely export markets. A project that is too far from farms or transport links would raise costs and weaken the benefits for growers.
Officials said the idea is to build a system in which farmers are not forced to sell raw products immediately after harvest. Storage and processing would let them supply products that meet the quality and timing requirements of domestic and foreign buyers.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report