Dhaka: The Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA) today successfully concluded its first-ever ‘Annual Financial Conference 2025’. Held at the BEPZA Executive Office from 7-8 July, the two-day event focused on BEPZA’s financial management, challenges, achievements, innovative strategies, and future action plans.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the conference aimed to develop a strategic roadmap for transforming BEPZA into a more investment-friendly, financially sound, and dynamic organization. BEPZA Executive Chairman Major General Abul Kalam Mohammad Ziaur Rahman inaugurated the conference, while A N M Foyzul Haque, Member (Finance) of BEPZA, delivered the welcome address. During the first day, heads of accounts departments from BEPZA’s eight EPZs and the BEPZA Economic Zone highlighted the practical challenges they face in financial operations at the field level.
The program included a presentation on “BEPZA’s Financial Capacity and Challenges” by Md. Tofazzal Hossain, Chief Accounts and Finance Officer of BEPZA, along with a session on “Audit Objectives and Future Strategy” by Khandaker Tariqul Islam, Executive Director (Audit). A significant moment of the conference was a presentation by Mohammad Muslim Chowdhury, Chairman of Sonali Bank PLC and former Finance Secretary and Comptroller and Auditor General of Bangladesh, who stressed the importance of accountability and constitutional obligations in financial management.
On the second day, the Member (Finance) presented “BEPZA’s Future Economic Roadmap and Strategic Investment Potential,” outlining strategies to strengthen BEPZA’s long-term financial framework. Md Abdur Rahman Khan, FCMA, Chairman of the National Board of Revenue (NBR), addressed the conference on “Tax-GDP Ratio and Investment Prospects in Bangladesh,” emphasizing that an increased tax-to-GDP ratio could widen investment opportunities.
In his concluding remarks, the Executive Chairman of BEPZA stated that the discussions and recommendations from the conference are expected to play a crucial role in enhancing BEPZA’s policy and budget framework, fostering a modern, investment-friendly institutional environment. The conference saw active participation from several key members, including Md. Ashraful Kabir, Member (Investment Promotion); Md. Imtiaz Hossain, Member (Engineering); and various Executive Directors and Project Directors from different zones.