‘Sakotex’, the ever largest garment factory in the Rajshahi region, is going to be established in the city’s BSCIC Industrial Estate keeping provision of creating job opportunities for around 5,000 people. Besides, necessary preparations for setting up an auto car factory are progressing fast. Ena Group Limited has undertaken the ventures in the industrially backward and hitherto neglected Rajshahi area aims at eradicating its unemployment problems coupled with bolstering economic position. Dr Musleh Uddin, Deputy Managing Director of Ena Group, told the local journalists that the hundred-per cent export-oriented Swatter Factory is expected to go into operation by beginning of the next year. In the preliminary stage, around 20,000 swatters will be manufactured every day. In phases, the daily production capacity will be enhanced to 1 million. Construction of the six storied building is progressing fast. Earlier on March 8 last, Nitol-Niloy Group under its ‘Niloy-Usmaan Motor Industries Limited’ launched a Human Hauler Industry in Rajshahi BSCIC Estate with size and capacity of 20,000 Human Hauler and refrigerated van per shift per Annum and providing employment for 200 people directly and generating employment opportunities indirectly to the backward linkage and transport drivers. Engineer Azharul Islam, Deputy General Manager of BSCIC said some other big companies have also invested in the estate. The sick and laid off industries are being replaced with the new viable enterprises. Transferring process of the existing infrastructures of Shahi Fabrics and Shah Mukhdum Silk Industries, which remained inoperative for long, is on the final stage. 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 them 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 the near future, Engineer Azharul Islam said. The 325-plot BSCIC industrial estate, established in 1961 on 95.71 acres of land on the city’s outskirts, has been providing electricity, water supply, security, road and drainage facilities to the entrepreneurs for running their business. Several silk-clothes manufacturing units, including foreign- owned ones earned reputation for their quality products. They expected that there would be no more sick industry in the estate, the DGM mentioned. Effective initiative has been taken to build a new industrial area here keeping the provision of more than 500 industrial plots including job creation opportunities of around 10,000 people. Site selection process on 50 acres of land in Nalkola area under Paba upazila of the district has already been finalized. Terming the BSCIC industrial area viable for any small and medium industry, Md Muniruzzaman, President of Rajshahi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the entrepreneurs were making profit and had demanded gas supply to the BSCIC to reduce production costs. He stressed the need for taking necessary steps to formulate a separate business 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. Alhaj Sadar Ali, owner of Sapura Silk Mills Ltd in the estate, said the real entrepreneurs of the area are willing to set up more industries. He urged the government to provide industrial plots to those, who would contribute to the national economy through production.
