Promises Fade as Sylhet’s Hi-Tech Park Delivers Only a Fraction of Expected Jobs and Investment

When the Hi-Tech Park in Sylhet was formally inaugurated on 12 December 2021, officials presented it as a cornerstone for transforming the region's economy. The 171-acre site in Companiganj upazila, roughly 22 kilometres from the city, was expected to draw large-scale manufacturing and technology firms, create tens of thousands of jobs for local youth, and take advantage of Sylhet's proximity to India's northeastern states. Approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council in March 2016 at an estimated cost of Tk 336 crore, the project carried ambitious targets: 20,000 jobs and Tk 1,500 crore in investment. Nearly five years later, those figures remain distant.

Current estimates put employment at around 400 people and total investment near Tk 300 crore. Of the 14 companies that secured land or building space, only two are actually operating. The remaining allotments show little or no activity—some companies have not broken ground, others started construction and then stopped, and a few hold space in the administrative building without commencing work. The gap between allocation and operation has become the park's most visible failure.

Infrastructure shortfalls explain much of the delay. Industrial gas connections, repeatedly promised to tenants, have not materialised for major operators. One firm applied as early as 2022; subsequent applications filed with assistance from the park authority have also been turned down. Electricity supply, delivered through a rural line, frequently fails during heavy rain, and there is no reliable backup system. Without stable power and gas, manufacturers cannot run production lines at planned capacity.

Rangs Electronics, which occupies a 32-acre plot and began limited operations in 2025, illustrates the problem. The company has been able to produce only refrigerators and at roughly 30 percent of intended output. Plans for additional product lines remain on hold. Management reports annual losses in the tens of crores and higher per-unit costs caused by the missing utilities. A second operational tenant, focused on advanced IT training, faces different but related obstacles: weak connectivity makes it hard to attract students and retain staff, while evening security concerns further discourage expansion.

Investors were offered a package of incentives that included tax holidays, duty-free import of machinery and raw materials, and the freedom to repatriate profits and capital. Many also expected a true one-stop service centre that would simplify licensing and approvals. In practice, companies have had to obtain clearances individually from multiple offices, just as they would outside the park. Rent arrangements have also diverged from early assurances; at least one major tenant says it has paid rent from the first day rather than receiving the promised grace period during construction.

The park's original name, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Hi-Tech Park, was later changed, but the underlying challenges predate the renaming. After the change of government in February 2026, a review committee was formed and local officials inspected the site. The Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority has acknowledged that distance from the city and the absence of gas are primary barriers. Officials have scheduled a high-level meeting for early November to discuss remedial steps and ways to attract fresh investment. Whether that meeting produces binding timelines for gas and power, clearer service commitments, or revised allotment rules will determine if the project can recover any of its lost momentum.

For now, the park stands as a costly reminder of how large infrastructure ambitions can stall when supporting utilities and administrative follow-through lag behind the ribbon-cutting. More than three hundred crore taka in public funds have been spent, yet the employment and industrial activity originally envisioned remain largely unrealised. Local communities that expected thousands of jobs continue to wait, while the two companies that have tried to operate absorb the daily costs of incomplete infrastructure. The coming weeks will show whether the renewed attention translates into concrete fixes or simply another round of assessments.