Set up special economic zone in Sylhet

Setting up of the much awaited special economic zone in Sylhet is the need of hour to woo Bangladeshis living abroad to contribute to the national economy, speakers at a seminar in Sylhet said yesterday.
Ggreater Sylhet region is lagging behind in investment as non-resident Bangladeshis (NRBs) can not be drawn into investing in the country, they said. NRB's are interested to invest their money but not coming forward due to absence of facility, they said.
Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS) and Bangladesh Enterprise Institute (BEI) organised the 2-day seminar that began at a hotel in the city.
Former labour secretary Syed Shujauddin Ahmed chaired the inaugural session while Additional Divisional Commissioner of Sylhet JN Biswas was the chief guest.
Acting chairman of BILS Mojibur Rahman; Additional Deputy Commissioner of Sylhet Mozammel Haque; Dr. Nazrul Islam, chairman of the department of business administration at Shahjalal University of Science & Technology; Sylhet chamber vice-president Ziaul Haque; Bangladesh Cha Sramik Union president Rajendra Proshad Bunerjee, among others spoke at the seminar on 'FDI, Private Sector Development and Economy of Sylhet Region'.
Sust assistant professor Md. Rafiqul Islam presented the key note paper. About 40 educationists, journalists, trade union leaders are taking part in the seminar.
The speakers said about 500 bank branches in the region have a huge amount of idle money, mostly sent by expatriates but there is little investment.
Besides, lengthy and complex procedure of official formalities also stand on the way of setting up new industries, they said.
There is good prospects for establishing small and large scale industries in Sylhet region, which has now good road links with the capital and the port city. There is abundant natural resources including gas, stone, sand and fish in the region.