RANGPUR, Jan 10: Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) industrial estate at Kellabandh area in Rangpur city has no empty plot of land to accommodate new ones. This is hampering the growth of industrialisation in the region.
There are a good number of enthusiastic entrepreneurs who have become disappointed finding no empty plot at the estate, sources said.
As demand for new plots is rising, the organisation sought more allocation of land from the concerned authority for its expansion but is yet to get any sanction, sources further said.
According to sources BSCIC Rangpur estate was established on 20.68 acres of land in between 1960 to 1967 at Kellabandh area, 7 km away from Rangpur city. There were 83 plots at BSCIC Rangpur estate in which 26 industrial units were set up.
Each decimal of land was sold among the entrepreneurs at Tk 2,000 at the beginning of the project. The lucrative units include five units of RFL Company including RFL tubewell factory, cold storage, spare parts factory, milk processing unit, PVC pipe unit etc.
Former President of Rangpur Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) Abul Kashem said as Rangpur has become a division, so naturally the number of small and mid-level entrepreneurs has increased.
The entire economic development of the region depends on industrialisation. If a new industrial estate of BSCIC is set up here, thousands of unemployed people of the region would get job opportunities, he added.
Deputy General Manager (DGM) of BSCIC, Rangpur Md. Khairul Alam said setting up of another industrial estate is essential now to cope with the growing demand across the region, he added.
A proposal was sent to ministry concerned for acquiring 40 acres of lands in Damdama area near Rangpur-Dhaka Highway to set up a another BSCIC estate in Rangpur. Additional secretary of Ministry of Industries Azizul Islam visited the area two years ago. But the department is yet to get any approval, he also said.
If the land is acquired, they could at least give allotment for 40-50 new units as a result the curse of unemployment can be eliminated from the region to a great extent, he added.
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