The New Nation - Internet Edition

Our Correspondent, Barisal

Only seventeen percent plots of the industrial estate of Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) in Barisal are under use for industrialisation and about fifty percent of those industries are sick.

Barisal BSCIC sources said the estate was established in 1961 to develop socio-economic conditions through industrialisation in the southern region with 461 industrial plots including 330 developed and 133 under developing plots.

Since then 244 out of 330, developed plots were allotted for establishing industries and industries established on only 75 plots until this report.

However, 31 out of those 75 industries are now sick and at the verge of closure and conditions of rest 44 are not so well. A high powered team led by Mahbub-ur-Rahman, chairman and Mustafizur Rahman, general manager of BSCIC, Mirza Nurul Gani Shovan, director of Small and Mid ranged Entrepreneurs Foundation, two other members of the three-member team, visited Barisal and Patuakhali BSCIC estate on January 6 and 7, 2008.

They exchanged views with officials of BSCIC, financial institutions, business organizations, entrepreneurs, district administration to review the conditions and modernizations of those industrial facilities.

Participants of that exchange of views programme said undisrupted power supply sources like electricity or natural gas need to develop industrialisation in this region.

Natural gas supply from Shahbazpur gas field of Bhola could play vital role in industrialisations of the region by giving power supply, they hoped. They also emphasised on taking steps for improvement of infrastructure, development of communication and power supply, creating business friendly environment including special law and order and security arrangements and proper utilisation of the plots in Barisal BSCIC industrial estates.

The team after visiting 20 BSCIC estates of the country prepared their report with suggestions on February 2008, which yet not implemented.

Ebaidul Huq Chan, president of the Barisal Chamber of Commerce and Industries and director of FBCCI, said that full pledged activation of the BSCIC estates will not only develop the region economically, but also will play positive role in social development by reducing unemployment and poverty rate.