Mongla EPZ drying up

by Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury
January 28, 2009

http://www.weeklyblitz.net/169/mongla-epz-drying-up

Major segment of the factories in Mongla Export Processing are already closed and the remaining 4 factories in operation may close down at any time due to massive corruption, bureaucratic complication and step-motherly behavior of the BEPZA and EPZ authorities towards the entrepreneurs of the factories, majority of whom are Indians.

Bal Kishan Kayan, chairman of Golden Agro Group, Thailand and Indonesia established two betelnut processing plants in Monga Export Processing Zone in 2001 with initial investment of US$ 2 million.

Bal Kishan Kayan is the inventor of technique of processing betelnut/ Areca nut, through Salphur treatment, which is gradually becoming popular in a number of countries in the world. He established a company named Bangladesh Betelnut Growers and Processors Private Limited and Golden Agro Products Limited in 2001 with two factories in Mongla EPZ, employing above 400 labors.

Mrs. Rumpa Chakravarty [now Rumpa Roy, an Indian national and wife of eminent Bangladeshi journalist Supon Roy] is the partner in the project. The projects were running smoothly with a very steady growth in revenue earnings, till unwarranted interference of the authorities of BEPZA and EPZ. According to Bal Kishan Kayan, vested interest group within BEPZA and EPZ are continuously conspiring to sabotage the projects in Mongla EPZ, for the reason as most of such projects are owned by Indian nationals or Non Resident Indians. His pains got extra shock when Kayan took a flight bound Bangkok from Bangladesh on January 15 by Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight number BG 088. He took boarding pass for BG 088 from Dhaka to Bangkok. The flight was shown to be delayed by one hour first. At this time Biman authorities announced that they will provide dinner to the passengers of the delayed flight at the restaurant in the lobby. Seeing the bad quality of food, most of the passengers refused to take it. Passengers were once again forced to wait in the lounge to get the flight bound Bangkok. While being late for some more hours, finally Biman authorities took the passengers to a nearby low class hotel named Hotel Black Rose. But, almost after one hour of keeping the passengers waited in the hotel lobby, management of Black Rose Hotel told them that there was no room to accommodate the passengers of Biman Bangladesh Airlines. At this stage, passengers were told by Biman people that they will be taken to another hotel. But, the passengers saw that, it was a mere trick by Biman. In fact, they were taken back to hotel lobby, while some of the passengers were demanding to be returned to any hotel as they were already very exhausted. At this stage, Biman men went into unruly altercation and quarrel with the passengers and dozens of Biman employees rushed to the spot and reported started shouting saying "Bloody Indians', Idiots, we will kill you".

Talking to Weekly Blitz, Kishan said, "I have very strong feelings that people in BEPZA and other government organizations, including Biman treated us like enemies just because we are Indians."

He said, there is massive corruption inside EPZ in Mongla, which should be investigated by neutral authorities, as the corrupt chain of command within EPZ and BEPZA may manage any regular investigation by offering them bribe.

Commenting on Mongla EPZ, Kayan said, this is extremely lucrative location for the Indian entrepreneurs, and if the government could provide proper assistance to the investors, more and more Indian investors would have started project in Mongla. But, due to mis-management, corruption and unfriendly attitude of the authorities concerned, Mongla EPZ will finally face the fate of closure. "No investor will risk his money in any project, where government officials will always try to find ways and means of harassment."

The case of Bal Kishan Kayan, wrong attitude of Mongla EPZ authorities and nasty behavior by Biman Bangladesh Airlines staffs should be taken into serious consideration of the present government. For the sake of giving the confidence back to the investors, anyone involved in either harassing the foreign investors or humiliating the foreign passengers should be punished.

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