Two more float glass factories to be set up
Tuesday, 23 October 2007
Refayet Ullah Mirdha
Two more float glass factories are being set up in the country as entrepreneurs see a phenomenal growth in the use of such product in expanding urbanisation.
People are increasingly using float glass in windows and doors of their buildings.
Market operators said now-a-days people are choosing float glass for designing their structures due to its sustainability in quality and flexibility in usages.
They said the consumption growth of float glass in the country ranges between 15 per cent and 18 per cent a year.
Seeing the opportunities, profitability and consumption growth two more new float glass industries are coming into operation soon in the country, the industry insiders said.
Industry sources said an industry will be established in Sylhet at a cost of Tk 1.32 billion by a group of Non-Resident Bangladeshis (NRBs), who are currently living in UK.
The another factory might be built in the Meghna Ghat Industrial Zone by a local industrial group, they said.
The domestic consumption of float glass is 325 tonnes per day, sources said adding almost entire market demand is met by the local industries.
Only 2.0 per cent to 5.0 per cent of such glass requirement is imported. The glass comes from brands like Asahi and Saint Gobain and is used in car glass panes, sources said.
Currently, two float glass factories -- Nasir Glass Industries Limited (NGIL) and PHP Glass Industries Limited -- are in operation to meet the local demand. The companies also export 30,000 tonnes of float glass a year.
Two more old glass sheet factories including Osmania Glass Factory and MEB Glass Sheet Factory are in operation. Their products are generally cheaper and mainly used in low quality structures.
Talking to the FE a senior executive of the NGIL said the country's float glass is now being exported to Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal and India. The price of per tonne of float glass is US$250, he said.
"Every month the NGIL exports at least 2,000 tonnes of float glass," he said.
"The float glass industry owners are deprived of government cash incentives although they use more than 80 per cent of locally available raw materials like silica sands for producing float glass," he complained.
Talking to the FE, another senior executive of the PHP Glass said his company's aim is to meet the domestic demand of float glass rather than export.
But, due to direct marketing by the producing companies the retail float glass traders have been losing the competitiveness in their businesses, said a retail trader at the city's Babu Bazar.
He, however, said the commission given by the companies to the retail traders is only 0.40 per cent.
When asked acting president of the Bangladesh Aina O Kanch Babosayee Samity, Zakir Uddin Ahmed Arif said many old traders have already left their traditional family business.
"Earlier, we used to import 100 per cent of our local demand and make a significant amount of profit. But we can hardly make any business due to retail marketing of float glass by the producing companies," Arif said.
Now, the producing companies supply to the big consumers directly from the factory premises, he said.
Two more float glass factories are being set up in the country as entrepreneurs see a phenomenal growth in the use of such product in expanding urbanisation.
People are increasingly using float glass in windows and doors of their buildings.
Market operators said now-a-days people are choosing float glass for designing their structures due to its sustainability in quality and flexibility in usages.
They said the consumption growth of float glass in the country ranges between 15 per cent and 18 per cent a year.
Seeing the opportunities, profitability and consumption growth two more new float glass industries are coming into operation soon in the country, the industry insiders said.
Industry sources said an industry will be established in Sylhet at a cost of Tk 1.32 billion by a group of Non-Resident Bangladeshis (NRBs), who are currently living in UK.
The another factory might be built in the Meghna Ghat Industrial Zone by a local industrial group, they said.
The domestic consumption of float glass is 325 tonnes per day, sources said adding almost entire market demand is met by the local industries.
Only 2.0 per cent to 5.0 per cent of such glass requirement is imported. The glass comes from brands like Asahi and Saint Gobain and is used in car glass panes, sources said.
Currently, two float glass factories -- Nasir Glass Industries Limited (NGIL) and PHP Glass Industries Limited -- are in operation to meet the local demand. The companies also export 30,000 tonnes of float glass a year.
Two more old glass sheet factories including Osmania Glass Factory and MEB Glass Sheet Factory are in operation. Their products are generally cheaper and mainly used in low quality structures.
Talking to the FE a senior executive of the NGIL said the country's float glass is now being exported to Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal and India. The price of per tonne of float glass is US$250, he said.
"Every month the NGIL exports at least 2,000 tonnes of float glass," he said.
"The float glass industry owners are deprived of government cash incentives although they use more than 80 per cent of locally available raw materials like silica sands for producing float glass," he complained.
Talking to the FE, another senior executive of the PHP Glass said his company's aim is to meet the domestic demand of float glass rather than export.
But, due to direct marketing by the producing companies the retail float glass traders have been losing the competitiveness in their businesses, said a retail trader at the city's Babu Bazar.
He, however, said the commission given by the companies to the retail traders is only 0.40 per cent.
When asked acting president of the Bangladesh Aina O Kanch Babosayee Samity, Zakir Uddin Ahmed Arif said many old traders have already left their traditional family business.
"Earlier, we used to import 100 per cent of our local demand and make a significant amount of profit. But we can hardly make any business due to retail marketing of float glass by the producing companies," Arif said.
Now, the producing companies supply to the big consumers directly from the factory premises, he said.