Deltaport to invest $21.6m in BEPZA Economic Zone footwear plant

Deltaport Footwear Limited, a venture backed by Italian and Irish investors, has signed a land lease agreement with the Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA) to establish a footwear manufacturing plant at the BEPZA Economic Zone in Mirsharai, Chattogram.
The company will invest US$21.6 million to manufacture a wide range of footwear products, which is expected to diversify Bangladesh's export-oriented footwear industry, create jobs and boost foreign exchange earnings, says a BEPZA statement.
The agreement was signed at the BEPZA Complex in Dhaka on Tuesday. Md. Tanvir Hossain, executive director (Investment Promotion) of BEPZA, signed on behalf of the authority, while Junaid Iqbal Umerani, chief executive officer of Deltaport Footwear, signed for the company. BEPZA Executive Chairman Major General Mohammad Moazzem Hossain witnessed the signing ceremony.
Once fully operational, the factory is expected to employ 468 Bangladeshi workers and produce about 3 million pairs of footwear annually, including injected, cemented, casual, formal, ladies' and safety shoes.
The company expects the project to generate annual export earnings of around US$37.5 million, with products destined for Italy, other European countries, the UK, the US and Colombia.
Speaking at the ceremony, BEPZA Executive Chairman Major General Mohammad Moazzem Hossain welcomed Deltaport Footwear as a valued investment partner of the BEPZA family.
He said, "BEPZA is continuously enhancing its infrastructure, services and investment facilities to provide investors with a more convenient, modern and business-friendly environment. We believe this investment will further strengthen Bangladesh's export competitiveness while creating new employment opportunities."
CEO of Deltaport Footwear Junaid Iqbal Umerani said, "This is our third investment in Bangladesh, and all three projects are located within BEPZA-administered zones. As part of our regional business expansion strategy, we evaluated several potential destinations, including India and Vietnam. However, Bangladesh, particularly BEPZA, offered the most attractive investment destination due to its investment-friendly environment, professional services, reliable infrastructure and our long-standing positive experience."
"Since making our first investment through Eastport Limited at Cumilla EPZ in 2013, our experience of working with BEPZA has further strengthened our confidence. Building on that confidence, we are pleased to expand our investment through this new project."
Among others, Abdullah Al Mamun, Member (Engineering); A N M Foyzul Haque, Member (Finance); Samir Biswas, Executive Director (Administration); A.S.M. Anwar Parvez, Executive Director (Public Relations); senior officials of BEPZA along with Uttam Kumar Talukdar, representative of Deltaport Footwear, were present at the signing ceremony.