The opinion came out of a roundtable discussion organised by The Daily Star at Hotel Fortune Garden in Sylhet city on Tuesday afternoon. Prof MA Aziz, a veteran educationist also dean of the school of humanities and social science at Metropolitan University presided over the event where Prof Kamal Ahmed Chowdhury, dean of the faculty of social science at Shahjalal University Of Science & Technology (SUST) presented a paper on 'investment opportunities: Sylhet perspective'. Editor of The Daily Star Mahfuz Anam also spoke.

Prof Kamal in his presentation said a large number of Bangladeshi expatriates living in the UK, USA and in other foreign countries are from Sylhet and they have been contributing greatly to the country's economy for long. He claimed that at least 50 percent of the nation's remittances from abroad, come from the expatriates with roots in Sylhet.

An EPZ in the Sylhet region

would have a huge potential, Prof Kamal said, but no government so far took the initiative although the necessity for such a venture had been felt for long in the context of the region's age old link with the UK and other foreign countries.

Proper investment opportunities are still absent in the country, he said, but despite facing serious obstacles, some private initiatives achieved well in the region during the last decade. He stressed on the need for opening new avenues for productive investments in the country.

MA Razzaque Chowdhury, former president of Sylhet Chamber of Commerce and Industries (SCCI) also a director of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) said no step has yet been taken to make viable the 30 textile mills set up in the region in the eighties. The mills have become sick due to absence of government assistance, he claimed. Young entrepreneurs of the new age need technical assistance, he said stressing the need for establishing gas and agro-based industries in the region.

SCCI President Faruque Ahmed Misbah said, with a better road and rail link with the capital now, Sylhet has better communication with the rest of the country. For enhancing trade facilities with the north-eastern region of India, the government should immediately think about setting up an EPZ in the Sylhet region, he said.

SCCI has already started preparing a model study and feasibility study on setting up an EPZ or industrial park in Sylhet with assistance from a foreign firm as well as from Shahjalal University of Science & Technology.

"Very soon the studies will be ready and then we will submit those to the government for early implementation," he added. He stressed the need for creating scopes for non-resident Bangladeshis (NRBs) for development of our national economy.

The chamber leader also urged the government to prepare a legal framework to allow gas based power plants in the private sector.

Vice-chairman of Chittagong Stock Exchange Fokhor Uddin Ali Ahmed suggested that the government should take immediate and effective legal steps to stop indiscriminate cutting of hills and extraction of stones in the Sylhet region. He also suggested that the government should lease out the management of Sylhet Osmani International Airport to the private sector as soon as possible. The airport should be made an international one in real sense, he said.

Executive Officer of Overseas Centre Shamsul Alam stressed the need for immediate inclusion of NRBs on the voter list.

Chairman of Zakaria City Holiday Resort Dr Zakaria Hossain said adequate security should be provided to genuine investors for the sake of the national economy. He also said infrastructural facilities should be provided by the government to ensure proper investment friendly atmosphere.

SCCI Director Md Layes Uddin identified corruption by government officials and political unrest as obstacles to industrialisation in the region.

Engineer Mohiuddin said, corruption by the officials should be brought under control immediately for attracting our expatriates to invest in the country.

Director of British-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industries Hijkil Gulzar said road communication between Sylhet and Chittagong should be improved immediately for ensuring easy transportation of exportable goods from Sylhet.

Sylhet Press Club President Muktabis Un Noor said, "We will lose our next generation of NRBs if we fail to get them involved now. They are fast getting detached from their parental homeland."

Former upazila chairman of Companiganj, Taiyabur Rahman said corruption at all levels of bureaucracy is the main obstacle to development activities.

He also blamed elected representatives and the local administration for fast destruction of hills and forests through indiscriminate felling of trees and random extraction of stones from government lands.

President of Bangladesh Association, UK Shafiqur Rahman Chowdhury said the expatriates want one stop service for quick investment in the country. There are scopes for attracting good number of NRBs to invest in the country, he said adding that joint venture investments can also be launched. But law and order and other facilities should be ensured immediately, he pointed out.

Deputy Director of Board of Investment of Sylhet Emdadul Haque said SME Banking is the need of the hour on regional basis for speedy investment in new sectors. He also stressed the need for an inter-ministerial body to facilitate quicker investment on regional basis.

Central Vice-president of Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA) Dr Shamimur Rahman said the government should play the role of a facilitator in the matters of investment. There is a great demand for investment in the medical sector, he said. He also urged the government to create legal provisions to allow NRBs to set up small scale and gas-based power plants in the Sylhet region, where there is a huge reserve of natural resources.

Prof MA Aziz said corruption has been eating up most of the country's development ventures. It should be stopped at any cost, he asserted. "The new generation of NRBs are losing their interest in Bangladesh, due to our negligence. We must think about the crisis," he said adding, "we should create specific opportunities for ensuring investment from them immediately." He also emphasised the need for improving the law and order situation in the country.