The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

The government has decided to set up two new urea fertilizer factories in the country in the wake of increasing demand in the agricultural sector.

One of the proposed factories, North-West Fertilizer Factory Limited will be set up in Sirajganj while the other, Shahjalal Fertilizer Factory Limited, will be set up to replace the Natural Gas Fertilizer Factory (NGFF) Limited in Fenchuganj.

The decision was taken at an inter-ministerial meeting held at the Industries Ministry on Thursday with Industries Adviser Geeteara Safiya Chowdhury in the chair.

The meeting hoped that two factories would be able to produce 11.20 lakh metric tons of fertilizer annually -- 5.60 lakh metric tones each. It was informed that the Chinese government has already expressed its eagerness to finance the seting up of the North-West Fertilizer Factory in Sirajganj.

The meeting directed the ERD to setle within next one month the long pending Czech Republic offer relating to financing the establishment of Shahjalal Fertilizer Factory Limited in Fenchuganj. It was decided that if the Czech government do not set up the fertilizer factory, the government, either with its own resources or through joint venture, would take immediate initiative set up the Shahjalal Fertilizer Factory Limited in Fenchuganj. Industries secretary Dr M Nurul Amin, Planning Commission member Ehsanul Fatah, Energy and Mineral Resources secretary AMM Nasiruddin, director general (Monitoring Cell) of Finance Division Dr Chowdhury Saleh Ahmed, ERD additional secretary of ERD M Shaidul Haq, BCIC chairman Mokhlesur Rahman and Petrobangla chairman Sheikh Rashid Ahmed were, among others, present at the meeting.