Hi-tech parks are ushering in a new hope of attracting more foreign direct investment (FDI) as the technology zones are gearing up to house hardware and software manufacturing units of both local and international tech firms.
Some Tk 24 billion will be invested in the Hi-tech parks over the next five years, ICT division secretary Md. Shamsul Arefin told Business Eye on Friday.
He also projected that the Hi-tech parks are expected to generate 10,000 new jobs by next year.
BHTPA, a wing of the ICT Division, is collaborating with local and international agencies to develop necessary infrastructure to woo more local and foreign investments in the Hi-tech parks.
“Many local and international companies are getting plots in different hi-tech parks. All big companies will be accommodated in Bangabandhu Hi-tech City in Kaliakoir of Gazipur. We especially focus on research and development-based manufacturing in the park,” he said.
Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority (BHTPA) Managing Director G S M Jafarullah said that including Bangabandhu Hi-Tech City, 28 other such parks across the country are ready to attract investment to the country.
Barendra Silicon City in Rajshahi and Sylhet Electronic City in Companiganj are focusing on hardware electronics manufacturing outside Dhaka.
Besides, BHTPA authorities also allocated plots to foreign and local software firms in Sheikh Hasina Software Technology Park in Jashore and Janata Hi-tech Park in Dhaka.
“Hi-tech parks generated over Tk500 million in revenues in the last eight years as five parks are ready for investment. Tech parks already fetched Tk 8.25 billion, of which the government injected Tk 4.98 billion into the sector,” he added.
There are 13,000 youths employed as 110 start-ups and other tech firms have invested Tk 3.27 billion in different Hi-tech parks, according to the official.
“There are several projects in operation under Hi-tech park authorities including Chattogram Software Technology Park, Sheikh Hasina Institute of Frontier Technology, Sheikh Kamal IT Incubators in 11 districts and Bangladesh Digital Service and Employment Training Centre,” BHTPA public relation officer Golam Kibria told The Business Eye that the Government offers a tax waiver for investors in Hi-tech parks to promote investment and youth employment.
Under the scheme, investors in the parks will get a full tax holiday for the first three years since the inception of their operations after which the benefit will gradually decline to be fully phased out in the eleventh year.
Major local and international companies are opting to invest in the parks. Korean brand Samsung, local firms Summit Technopolis, Walton, Chinese state-run organisation SinoPharm and Oryx are among the leading companies who got space allocation.
Oryx Biotech recently announced a mega-investment worth of $300 million to establish a plant at Bangabandhu Hi-Tech City injecting serial investments in biotechnology.
The firm will develop a plant at Hi-Tech City to reach annual production of 1,200 tonnes of plasma which will be used in medicine for many deadly diseases.
Besides, local company DataSoft is assembling smart wrist bands and two types of laptops at its plant in Bangabandhu Hi-Tech City in Gazipur. The company acclaimed global attention by exporting Internet of Things devices to Saudi Arabia.
In order to promote innovation and entrepreneurship in the country, Bangladesh has recently made notable advancements in the creation of High-tech parks. Around the country, the government has built various High-Tech Parks. This comprises the Janata Tower Software Technology Park in Dhaka and the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Hi-tech Park in Gazipur. These parks provide cutting-edge amenities including high-speed internet, cutting-edge telecommunications infrastructure, and a consistent power supply.
The establishment of hi-tech parks in Bangladesh is a crucial step towards building a knowledge-based economy. These parks aim to attract local and foreign investment in the information technology (IT) sector, create jobs and contribute to economic growth. The government has set a target to create millions of jobs in the IT sector by 2025 and the development of Hi-tech parks is a key component of this plan.
Kibria said, currently, there are around 28 Hi-tech parks (HTP)/Software Technology Parks (STP)/IT Training and Incubation Centres across the country. The concerned authority has completed some of them which are currently operational. Also, they are working on several other projects which are under construction.
Moreover, the government has recently approved some more hi-tech park projects. Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority (BHTPA) is working to implement and maintain these projects. The government established BHTPA under the “Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority Act-2010” with the objective of creating an investment-friendly environment and creating employment through the development and growth of high-tech industries in the country. Operational Hi-Tech Parks are Bangabandhu Hi-Tech City, Kaliakoir, Sheikh Hasina Software Technology Park, Jashore, Software Technology Park, Janata Tower and Sheikh Kamal IT Training and Incubation Centre, Natore.
Currently, there are 4 Hi-Tech parks operational in Bangladesh. First is the Bangabandhu Hi-Tech City, located at Kaliakoire in Gazipur. Spread over an area of 355 acres, the facility has several buildings. This includes a factory building of about 60,000 sft a signature building of over 150,000 sft a Solaris building of 2 lakh sq. ft and an industrial building of 25,000 sft. In addition, there is a three-story admin building, a two-story service building, and a four-tier data centre in the park.
Hi-Tech parks under construction are Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Hi-Tech Park, Rajshahi, Hi-Tech Park, Sylhet (Sylhet Electronics City), IT/Hi-Tech Park at District Level (12 districts), IT Business and Incubation Centre, CUET, IT Business and Incubation Centre, Rajshahi, ICT Incubator Cum Training Centre, KUET There are currently 5 Hi-Tech parks under construction in Bangladesh.
They are - Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Hi-Tech Park and IT Business and Incubation Centre in Rajshahi, Hi-Tech Park in Sylhet Electronics City, IT Business and Incubation Centre in CUET and ICT Incubator & Training Centre in KUET.
.png "Halim-&-Firni")
