Netrakona investors enthused as BSCIC estate is in sight

There is good prospect of setting up ceramic and glass factories, fish and fruit processing plants, specialised cold storage and other industries based on local raw materials, they said while talking to this correspondent.

All of them were found enthused after the steps taken during the visit of State Minister for Home and Minister- in-Charge of the district Lutfuzzaman Babor on August 19.

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The BSCIC estate (Silpa Nagari) on 15 acres of land at Rajandrapur, five kilometres from the town, will be ready for plot allotment by 2008, its Manager Mohammad Shahjahan told this correspondent. Land development work will begin soon, he added.

The project was taken up in 2000 but lands could not be acquired due to opposition from landowners.

State Minister Babor talked to the landowners and removed their misunderstanding. He also asked the administration to speed up payment of compensation for land acquisition.

Babor made spot payment of Tk 40 lakh to landowners on August 19.

The BSCIC estate manager said so far Tk two crore has been paid to the landowners.

He said 97 plot will created. Of these, 33 plots will be of 6000 square feet each, 55 plots of 4500 square feet and nine will be of 7500 square feet each.

These will be allotted for small, medium and cottage industries and about 3000 peoples will get jobs initially.

Shahajahan said industries will be set up basing on local raw materials.

Talking to this correspondent, Abu Bakar Siddik, a renowned businessman of Netrakona, said he hopes to set up a ceramic industry and a modern printing press. There is no modern printing press in Netrakona town.

He said the 'white clay' deposit in Bijoypur in Durgapur upazila in the district is the biggest one in our country, which meets the demand of all ceramic industries. But there is no ceramic industry in Netrakona, he added.

Debasish Chandra Sarker said Natrakona is rich in fish resources but there is no fish processing plant or specialised cold storage to store fishes during peak season. Fishermen and fish farmers in the district are being deprived of fair prices. He plans to set up a processing plant in the BSCIC industrial estate.

If such facilities are created, the country will also earn foreign exchange from fish export from the district, he said.

College teacher Nurul Amin said the industrial estate will change the life of people of the district, so far neglected. It will have a chain effect on all sectors including agriculture and fishery, he said.