BSS, Rajshahi :
Expansion of the industrial estate of Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) in Rajshahi would create employment opportunities for around 5,000 people.
A fresh project to this end has been conceived to acquire 50 acres of land to develop 308 industrial plots in the area to ensure the evolvement of small and medium enterprises (SME) in the region.
Altaf Hossain, Regional Director of BSCIC, here said the government has taken the responsibility of providing industrial plots to the actual entrepreneurs as per the necessity.
He said the present government has a separate view-point towards Rajshahi’s development and intends to accelerate its socio-economic improvement through the best use of the existing industrial potentialities. It is very much committed to ensure proper utilization of allocated plots for industrial purpose aiming to promote industrialization in the country.
He said the government has given special emphasis on building planned industrial estates throughout the country to attain the goal of sustainable and eco-friendly industrialization.
“The industrial plots are being developed considering the country’s socio-economic condition and future necessity, as the entrepreneurs are expanding the SME gradually in the region,” he added.
He informed 10 per cent of the industrial plots in the estate would be kept reserved for the women entrepreneurs. The project titled “Extension of Rajshahi BSCIC Industrial Estate” would require a total cost of Taka 132 crore. BSCIC would implement the project by June 2017.
In the project, there will be three types of industrial plots. The number of A-type industrial unit is 83 having 6,000 square feet each while 89 units will be B-type with 4,500 square feet each and the remaining plots will be S-type with the size of 3,500- 8,000 square feet.
Altaf Hossain said the existing industrial estate of BSCIC Rajshahi has no plots, but demands are coming repeatedly from the entrepreneurs.
Against the backdrop of strong demand, the government has taken the project at Parila Union in Paba Upazila of Rajshahi district in 50 acres of land, he added. Meanwhile, the existing BSCIC industrial estate in the metropolis has started making profit with investment by some of the country’s big companies besides the sick and laid off industries are being replaced with new viable enterprises.
“The sick industry owners will either restart their businesses or transfer possession of their units,” said Altaf Hossain adding that creation of new estates became necessary to meet the local demand.
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.
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.
He said more than 100 units 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.
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.
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, Monzur Faruque Chowdhury, former President of Bangladesh Silk Industries Owners Association, said the entrepreneurs are making profit and they 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 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 those industries more profitable.
Expansion of the industrial estate of Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) in Rajshahi would create employment opportunities for around 5,000 people.
A fresh project to this end has been conceived to acquire 50 acres of land to develop 308 industrial plots in the area to ensure the evolvement of small and medium enterprises (SME) in the region.
Altaf Hossain, Regional Director of BSCIC, here said the government has taken the responsibility of providing industrial plots to the actual entrepreneurs as per the necessity.
He said the present government has a separate view-point towards Rajshahi’s development and intends to accelerate its socio-economic improvement through the best use of the existing industrial potentialities. It is very much committed to ensure proper utilization of allocated plots for industrial purpose aiming to promote industrialization in the country.
He said the government has given special emphasis on building planned industrial estates throughout the country to attain the goal of sustainable and eco-friendly industrialization.
“The industrial plots are being developed considering the country’s socio-economic condition and future necessity, as the entrepreneurs are expanding the SME gradually in the region,” he added.
He informed 10 per cent of the industrial plots in the estate would be kept reserved for the women entrepreneurs. The project titled “Extension of Rajshahi BSCIC Industrial Estate” would require a total cost of Taka 132 crore. BSCIC would implement the project by June 2017.
In the project, there will be three types of industrial plots. The number of A-type industrial unit is 83 having 6,000 square feet each while 89 units will be B-type with 4,500 square feet each and the remaining plots will be S-type with the size of 3,500- 8,000 square feet.
Altaf Hossain said the existing industrial estate of BSCIC Rajshahi has no plots, but demands are coming repeatedly from the entrepreneurs.
Against the backdrop of strong demand, the government has taken the project at Parila Union in Paba Upazila of Rajshahi district in 50 acres of land, he added. Meanwhile, the existing BSCIC industrial estate in the metropolis has started making profit with investment by some of the country’s big companies besides the sick and laid off industries are being replaced with new viable enterprises.
“The sick industry owners will either restart their businesses or transfer possession of their units,” said Altaf Hossain adding that creation of new estates became necessary to meet the local demand.
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.
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.
He said more than 100 units 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.
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.
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, Monzur Faruque Chowdhury, former President of Bangladesh Silk Industries Owners Association, said the entrepreneurs are making profit and they 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 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 those industries more profitable.
