Dhaka: The government will construct multi-storey dormitories for female workers in each of the eight Export Processing Zones (EPZs) in the country to address their accommodation problem.

The decision was taken at the 33^rd meeting of the Board of Governors of the Bangladesh Export Processing Zone Authority (BEPZA) held at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) with BEPZA Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

Briefing journalists after the meeting, PM’s press secretary AKM Shameem Chowdhuri said the Bangladesh Bank would finance from its Housing Fund to construct the six-storey dormitories.

He said the meeting also decided to exempt 5% holding tax to BEPZA for the EPZs—Ishwardi, Savar and Nilphamari—situated in the Union Parishads.

Besides, all the foreign investors and foreigners working at the EPZs would get commissionerate facility at 15% duty.

The PM’s press secretary said a decision was also taken to relocate some 1206 non-Bengali families living in the Adamjee EPZ to another place constructing multi-storey buildings from the Bangladesh Bank’s Housing Fund.

Currently, there are some 26.84 acres of land under the possession of non-Bengali families. Out of the total 1,406 families, some 200 non-Bengali families have so far been rehabilitated in barracks through Ashrayan project.

He said the second unit of the Adamjee Jute Mills, which is yet to be dismantled, would be given to those entrepreneurs who would produce jute and jute-made goods.

During the meeting, Bepza executive chairman Major General Mohd Habibur Rahman highlighted a brief scenario of the overall activities of BEPZA over the last six years as well as its overall progress and growth.