BSCIC to set up industrial estate at Srimangal

Ismail Hossain Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) is planning to set up a 20-acre industrial estate at Srimangal in Moulvibazar to facilitate development of industrial infrastructure in the area, officials said. A source in the planning department of BSCIC told the FE Sunday that the Tk 155 million project would get moving ahead soon. The project is now waiting fon approval at the planning ministry. Referring to a meeting held on November 30 in the Planning Commission about the estate, he said within a month it will get approval. He said the government took interest in establishing the estate at Srimangal considering the increased demand of the local people. He also said BSCIC also considered the availability of industrial raw materials and capital in the area while making plan for the estate. "There are also enough skilled manpower, adequate remittance flow and a good number of possible entrepreneurs," he said. The source said plots in two other BSCIC industrial estates near Srimangal in Sylhet and Moulvibazar have almost run out. It is also another reason why BSCIC was giving consideration to setting up an industrial estate at Srimangal, popularly known as the tea capital of Bangladesh. He said there will be 130 plots in the estate where some 90-100 small and medium industries can be accommodated. He said there are possibilities of appointment of at least 5000 people the and some 15000 people will be benefited indirectly after setting up of all industries. He said the project's fund will come from Annual Development Programme and it will take some three years to set up the industries in the estate. The source said the location of the estate has been fixed near the railway station of Srimangal where communication facilities, gas and electricity supplies are available. He said there are 75 industrial estates across the country, where some 3,500 industries have been set up. "Work is going on in nine more industrial estates of BSCIC," he said. The source said work of another 15 proposed industrial estates would start very soon.