The industrial estate of Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries
Corporation (BSCIC) in Rajshahi metropolis has started making profit
with investment by some of the country’s big companies.
Abul Khair Group and Nitol Group have taken plot allocation and
started their production. Many other large groups of companies are in
the pipeline.
According to the officials concerned, the sick and laid off industries
are being replaced with new viable enterprises.
Transferring process of the existing infrastructures of Shahi Fabrics
and Shah Mukhdum Silk Industries, which remained inoperative for long,
is at the final stage.
“The sick industry owners will either restart their businesses or
transfer possession of their units,” said Mominul Islam, estate
officer of the BSCIC, adding that creation of new estates became
necessary to meet the local demand.
He said more than 100 units of BSCIC were declared sick and laid off
about 18 to 20 years back but the number at present came down to
almost zero level because of the rising trend in production and
marketing of goods.
Most of the industrial units have become profitable over the last
couple of years as the local entrepreneurs have been showing keen
interest in restarting the sick industries and operating their
business successfully after transferring ownership. Some of those are
also trying to get new plots to set up various other prospective
industrial units.
Moreover, 190 industrial units out of total 200 plots are making
profit through their successful operation and 10 other units are
waiting to go for production in near future, Mominul expects.
The 325-plot BSCIC industrial estate, established in 1961 on 95.71
acres on the city’s outskirts, has been providing electricity, water
supply, security, road and drainage facilities to the entrepreneurs
for running their business.
A successful garment entrepreneur of the country, Shahriar Alam, MP,
and member of parliamentary standing committee on information
ministry, had launched the North Bengal Flour Mills on a plot of the
estate creating more employment opportunities here.
He also launched a training center for knitwear factory, besides the
flourmills, for the first time in the region.
Several silk clothes manufacturing units earned reputation for their
quality products. They expect that there would be no more sick
industry in the estate, the officials said.
Terming the BSCIC industrial area viable for any small and medium
industry, Manzur Faruque Chowdhury, former President of Bangladesh
Silk Industries Owners Association, said the entrepreneurs were making
profit and are demanding uninterrupted power and gas supply to the
BSCIC to reduce production costs.
He stressed the need for taking necessary steps to formulate a
separate industrial friendly policy for the country’s northwestern
region, checking smuggling of Indian goods, providing gas connection
to the industrial units and bank loans at low interest rates for
making these industries more profitable. -BSS, Rajshahi
