Korean EPZ wins national tree plantation award

The Korean Export Processing Zone (KEPZ) in Chattogram has won the National Tree Plantation Award 2025 for its contribution to tree plantation, conservation, research, innovation, sapling production and greening.

Kihak Sung, chairman and CEO of Youngone Corporation, which develops and manages the Korean EPZ, received the award from Prime Minister Tarique Rahman at the inauguration of World Environment Day, Environment Fair, National Tree Plantation Campaign and Tree Fair 2026 at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in the capital today (9 July).

The Korean EPZ secured first place in the category covering union parishads, upazila parishads, district councils, municipalities, city corporations, directorates, departments, sectors, corporations, institutions, NGOs, clubs and voluntary organisations.

This year, 21 individuals and organisations received the National Tree Plantation Award 2025 in seven categories.

The first, second and third-place winners in each category received cheques of Tk1 lakh, Tk75,000 and Tk50,000 respectively, along with certificates and crests.

Spread over around 2,492 acres in Chattogram, the KEPZ is now known as an environmentally friendly industrial zone. The area was once grey and vulnerable to soil erosion.

After acquiring the land, the KEPZ authorities began conservation work under a "blue and green" plan. In line with environmental clearance conditions, the authorities have developed green spaces and water bodies on 52% of the total land.

So far, around 30 lakh saplings have been planted in the zone. The authorities have also built 37 water bodies capable of storing around 600 million gallons of rainwater.

The initiative aims to restore the natural ecosystem and conserve local biodiversity.

On 23 July 2023, KEPZ also took an initiative to establish the KEPZ Botanical Garden on around 60 acres of land.

Within about three years, around 1,300 species of trees, herbs and shrubs have been conserved there, most of them native, critically endangered, endangered or threatened plant species.

The authorities are working to raise the number of plant species to 1,850 by 2027. If achieved, it is expected to become the country's largest conserved plant garden.

KEPZ is also implementing a special mixed greening project this year to plant around two lakh saplings, most of them endangered or threatened plant species.

The authorities said the initiative, aligned with the national tree plantation programme, reflects their long-term commitment to environmental conservation and corporate social responsibility.