Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay today met with Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun at the InterContinental in Dhaka. Photo : PID

DHAKA, Nov 23, 2025 (BSS) - Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay today described the Kurigram Special Economic Zone (SEZ), which is currently being constructed under a Government-to-Government (G2G) partnership, as an important project. 

“This zone in Bangladesh would connect with Bhutan’s forthcoming special administrative region, the ‘Gelephu Mindfulness City’,” he said while meeting with Executive Chairman of the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun at the InterContinental in the city. 

Discussions during the bilateral meeting focused on the establishment of a Bhutanese SEZ in Bangladesh and other related interests.

This connection is anticipated to further consolidate commercial flow and cooperation within the industrial sectors of both nations.

During the meeting, the Bhutanese Prime Minister also highlighted new opportunities for Bhutanese entrepreneurs within Bangladesh’s financial and other sectors. 

He expressed interest in dispatching a high-level delegation soon to Bangladesh to evaluate these potential business opportunities.

Ashik Chowdhury reaffirmed Bangladesh’s commitment to implementing the Kurigram Economic Zone. 

He assured cooperation in realizing the full potential of the Gelephu-Kurigram connection, suggesting that "Kurigram and Gelephu may become complementary engines for our joint economic future".

 Ashik Chowdhury, also Executive Chairman of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) highlighted the advantages Bangladesh offers, including its large market, skilled labor force, and global connectivity, noting that these factors could help develop a new-generation model for economic cooperation. 

He also stated that necessary coordination and effective steps would be taken regarding the establishment of the economic zone, in accordance with regulatory procedures.

The idea for establishing an SEZ in Kurigram was initially put forward by the Government of Bhutan following a meeting held in London in 2023. Subsequent communications between the two governments focused on establishing an economic zone specifically for Bhutanese investors in Kurigram.

This initiative saw a significant step forward on March 25, 2024, when a MoU was signed between the Governments of Bangladesh and Bhutan during the state visit of the Bhutanese King to Bangladesh, confirming the establishment of the special economic zone on a G2G basis.

Following the signing of the MoU, the King also inspected the site of the proposed ‘Bhutanese Special Economic Zone’ in Kurigram district.

Based on Bhutan's expressed interest, BEZA proposed that the joint G2G initiative establish the SEZ on 219.64 acres of land. This land spans four mouzas—Madhabram, Bancharam, Sora, and Kalyan—within the Kurigram Sadar Upazila.

The meeting was attended by Major General (Retd) Nazrul Islam, BEZA Executive Member (Planning and Development), along with officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Bangladesh Embassy in Bhutan. 
The Bhutanese delegation included Bhutan’s Ambassador Rinchen Kuentsel and senior officials from the country’s Health, Trade, and Industry Ministries.