Chittagong, Bangladesh (BBN)-A Japanese electronics industry, OP-Seed Co. (BD) Limited, of Chittagong EPZ has built dormitory for the female workers in Bangladesh.
Ambassador of Japan in Bangladesh H.E. Masato Watanabe and Executive Chairman of Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA) Major General Mohd Habibur Rahman Khan, ndc, psc formally inaugurated the dormitory today (01.02.2016). This dormitory is located at Dampara, Middle Halishahar adjacent to the sector 7 of CEPZ, which will accommodate 800 female workers. This is the first female dormitory made by ny enterprise of EPZ, sais a press release of BEPZA.
Ambassador of Japan H.E. Masato Watanabe appreciated the initiative for making female dormitory by a Japanese industry.
He said, I am very pleased to know that a Japanese company of EPZ has built the first female dormitory in consistent with the direction of honourable Prime Minister of Bangladesh.
He also said that Bangladesh and Japan are two friendly country.
The relationship between the two countries became stronger through the visit of each other country by the two premiers.
The two leaders agreed to take women forward in all sectors.
Ambassador hoped that the women of Bangladesh would go forward in all spheres like Japan.
Mentioning the memorandum of understanding signed between BEPZA & JETRO he said, this agreement is contributing to increase the Japanese investment in the EPZs.
In the inauguration ceremony, Executive Chairman of BEPZA thanked OP-Seed Co. (BD) Limited for building the dormitory in order to accommodate the female workers of the factory.
He said, honourable Prime Minister instructed in the 33rd Board of Governors Meeting of BEPZA to construct dormitory for the female workers of the EPZs either for living individually or with family.
BEPZA has taken initiative to construct dormitory for accommodation of the workers of the EPZs in three ways- from the own fund, financing jointly by Bangladesh
Bank & BEPZA and by the initiatives of the enterprises of the EPZs, he added. Op-Seed Co. (BD) Ltd. has built this dormitory as a part of the initiative taken by the instruction of Prime Minister.
General Habib said that the workers would be benefited economically including the solution of their accommodation problem.
They can focus on production, which will increase their efficiency and productivity.
Such kind of activities would indirectly play an important role in the overall development of the country.
He requested the other investors of CEPZ to take initiative for making such dormitory.
BEPZA Chief said, Chittagong EPZ is the pioneer EPZ of BEPZA.
There are eight operating EPZs located at the different region of the country and most of them done by honourable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The EPZs under BEPZA have gained a reputation as Bonanza for Investment, which reflected in the achievement of past few
years.
EPZs have achieved 147.76 per cent growth in investment, 187.47 per cent in export, 123.29 per cent in creating new job and 44.14 per cent in operating industry during the last seven years (2009-2015) comparing with the previous seven years (2002-2008).
He also said, presently investors from 38 countries have invested US$ 3.75 billion in 453 operating and 59 under implementing factories and exported goods worth US$ 49.32 billion. 4,39,512 Bangladeshi nationals are working in the EPZs.
Yasuhiro Nakashima, President of Koha Co. Limited, the parent company of OP-Seed said in the inaugural speech that the workers of Bangladesh are potential and hard working.
Expressing his satisfaction over operating business at industrial friendly production oriented peaceful atmosphere prevailing in the EPZs he credited BEPZA for it.
He thanked the Executive Chairman of BEPZA for making a pocket gate for the workers to quick pass through the dormitory.
The seven-storied dormitory built for the female workers consists of 108 rooms.
There are separate cooking facilities and prayer rooms at the dormitory for every religion including Muslim, Hindu, Christian, Buddha and tribes so that they can live peacefully. Among others the Ambassador’s wife, Country Representative of JETRO Kei Kawano, General Manager (Public Relations) of BEPZA Nazma Binte Alamgir, General Manager of CEPZ Mr. Khorshid Alam, General Manager of KEPZ S.M. Akhter Alam Mostafi and the high officials of OP-Seed & CEPZ were present in the inauguration ceremony.
The Japanese including the other investors of the EPZ praised the activities of BEPZA at a discussion meeting held after the inaugural ceremony.
Mentionable that, 1082 workers are working in the OP-Seed Co. (BD) Ltd. which started journey in June, 1997.
Investment of the factory stands at US$ 48.20 million as of December 2015.
The enterprise exported Electronics & Electrical goods (such as- LED Back Light, Multi LED Lamp, LED Pilot lamp, LED Selection Button, Vending Machine) worth US$ 39 million in 2014-15 FY to Japan Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Netherland, China, and USA etc.
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