Pre-Inspection Mission Overview
The 2025–2028 EIPP (Economic Industrial Park Program) pre-inspection mission is an essential procedure to conduct on-site surveys and verify the feasibility of five priority economic zones and three key infrastructure project sites before full-scale implementation begins. Led by KDI, 12 Korean experts (spanning economics, civil engineering, energy, ICT, environment, and social sectors) and 8 Bangladeshi counterparts from BEZA and ERD will carry out 14 days of field inspections.
The mission has three core objectives. First, to identify gaps between the $500M investment targets set in the 2025–2027 mid-term roadmap and on-the-ground feasibility. Second, to quantitatively evaluate actual infrastructure readiness (power, roads, water, telecommunications) against a 120-item checklist. Third, to identify on-site risks not visible in official documents — land disputes, community grievances, labor supply constraints — through stakeholder interviews, and incorporate findings into risk mitigation plans.
Inspection Schedule and Detailed Activities
The 14-day schedule is structured as follows: Dhaka briefing (2 days) → Chittagong and Mirsarai (3 days) → Mongla (2 days) → Rajshahi (2 days) → Araihazar (2 days) → Dhaka comprehensive workshop (3 days). At each site, four key tasks run in parallel: infrastructure status survey, land condition verification, environmental baseline survey, and stakeholder interviews. The comprehensive workshop integrates on-site findings and finalizes supplementation measures and project adjustments.
| Day | Location | Key Activities | Responsible Team | Deliverable | Key Verification Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Days 1–2 | Dhaka | ERD and BEZA policy briefings, incentive status verification | KDI Overall | Status report | BEZA Act amendment status, one-stop service operational reality |
| Days 3–5 | Chittagong / Mirsarai | Port accessibility, power grid, zone Phase 1 site | Civil / Energy | Field assessment | Power reserve margin, port-to-zone travel time, land acquisition progress rate |
| Days 6–7 | Mongla | LNG terminal, energy and chemical zone, port | Energy / Environment | Feasibility memo | LNG supply schedule, wastewater treatment plan, environmental impact survey |
| Days 8–9 | Rajshahi | Agri-food zone, water resources, cold storage infrastructure | Environment / Agriculture | Environmental baseline report | Groundwater quality, cold-chain logistics access, agricultural land status |
| Days 10–11 | Araihazar | ICT zone, fiber optic infrastructure, data center site | ICT | Technical assessment | Fiber optic coverage, 5G infrastructure, power stability |
| Days 12–14 | Dhaka | Comprehensive workshop, Gap Analysis, draft final report | All teams | Final report (draft) | 120-item aggregate rating, risk classification, supplementation measures finalized |
Feasibility Verification Checklist Framework
The 120-item checklist is organized across four domains: technical (40 items), economic (30 items), environmental (25 items), and social (25 items). Each item is rated on a three-tier scale: "Good (Green) / Caution (Yellow) / Below Standard (Red)." Red-rated items require a supplementation plan as a precondition for project approval. Yellow-rated items allow the project to proceed with an attached mitigation plan.
| Domain | Items | Core Indicators | Benchmark | Red Rating Criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Technical | 40 items | Power stability, road access, water supply | Power reserve 15%+, port within 4 hours | Power reserve below 5%, no arterial road connection |
| Economic | 30 items | EIRR, NPV, payback period, employment multiplier | EIRR 12%+, payback within 15 years | EIRR below 8%, no market viability |
| Environmental | 25 items | Water and soil contamination, wastewater treatment, climate vulnerability | Within WHO standards, ZLD feasible | Heavy metal contamination confirmed, treatment infeasible |
| Social | 25 items | Displaced population scale, compensation plan, employment absorption | Fewer than 500 displaced, compensation complete | Unresolved compensation disputes, large-scale forced displacement |
Key Verification Points by Zone
Stakeholder Interview Plan
A total of 25 stakeholder interviews are scheduled over the 14 days. The purpose is to identify on-site risks and opportunity factors that are difficult to assess from official documents alone. In particular, the actual operational experience of existing tenant companies provides the most practically useful reference information for Korean companies.
Expert Team Composition and Roles
| Field | Count | Institution | Key Role | Field Deployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economics and Industrial Policy | 2 | KDI | Overall coordination, EIRR analysis | Full schedule |
| Civil Engineering and Infrastructure | 2 | KDI, KICT | Road, port, and land site assessment | Mirsarai, Chittagong |
| Energy | 2 | KETEP, KOICA | Power, LNG, and renewable energy feasibility | Mongla, Mirsarai |
| ICT | 2 | NIA, IITP | Telecom infrastructure and smart city assessment | Araihazar, Dhaka |
| Environment | 2 | KEI | Environmental baseline survey, ZLD feasibility | All zones |
| Social and Labor | 2 | KLI | Stakeholder interviews, social impact assessment | Full schedule |