Govt launches ‘Moheshkhali Integrated Development Authority’

The government has brought the "Moheshkhali Integrated Development Authority (MIDA) Ordinance, 2025" into effect, marking the start of a new chapter in Moheshkhali Island's planned transformation into a major energy and industrial hub.

The ordinance came into force on August 1, 2025, according to a notification issued by the Chief Adviser's Office last week.

The move follows months of policy groundwork aimed at integrating infrastructure, industrial, and socio-economic development projects on Moheshkhali Island under a single administrative framework.

Sources at the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (Beza) said the MIDA will oversee large-scale projects in energy, transport, port expansion, tourism and environmental management.

Located in Cox's Bazar, a south-eastern coastal district of the country, Moheshkhali has already attracted substantial investment interest for liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals and power plants. Already a 1,200-megawatt coal-fired power plant has been established on the island.

Under MIDA, seven economic zones, as well as township, logistics, transport, and utilities development, are planned for the island, officials said.

The Moheshkhali initiative is part of the government's broader vision to position the island as a "gateway to the Bay of Bengal" for energy, trade, and logistics over the next decade.