The Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA) has secured a record $718 million in investment commitments during the 2025-26 fiscal year (FY26), the highest annual investment proposal in its history, highlighting growing confidence among foreign investors in Bangladesh’s export-oriented manufacturing sector.
According to BEPZA, 36 local and foreign companies signed lease agreements during FY26 to establish manufacturing facilities across the country’s export processing zones (EPZs). The investors represent China, South Korea, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the British Virgin Islands, Samoa, and Bangladesh.
The proposed projects are expected to create employment opportunities for more than 75,700 Bangladeshis once fully operational, further strengthening the country’s industrial base and export competitiveness.
Unlike previous years, the latest investment pipeline reflects greater industrial diversification beyond traditional apparel manufacturing. The new projects cover a broad range of sectors, including electrical and electronic products, drones, footwear, leather goods, fashion accessories, light engineering, processed food, and agricultural products.
BEPZA also reported $286 million in actual investment during FY26, while net foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows into its EPZs reached $221.58 million during the first nine months of the fiscal year, accounting for nearly 20% of Bangladesh’s total net FDI, underscoring the authority’s significant contribution to the country’s investment landscape.
Despite a slight decline in Bangladesh’s overall export performance, exports from BEPZA-managed EPZs continued to grow. Export earnings from the zones increased by 2.2% year-on-year to $8.41 billion in FY26, demonstrating the resilience of export-oriented industries operating within the EPZs.
Employment across BEPZA’s zones also reached a new milestone, rising to 558,691 workers, reinforcing the authority’s role in job creation, export diversification, industrial expansion, and attracting quality foreign investment.
The record investment commitments are expected to accelerate Bangladesh’s transition toward higher-value manufacturing, strengthen its position in global supply chains, and support the country’s long-term economic growth strategy through diversified industrial development.
