Bogra eyes a big boost

Enthusiasm all around .. Laying of gas pipeline in Bogra town is going on in full swing. The photo was taken from Badur Tola area on Friday. PHOTO: STAR

With gas pipeline laying going on, banks are now alive, preparing and scanning project papers and holding meetings with prospective investors including some reputed business houses.

"Some new industries may come into being within two years if gas is supplied by June as planned", Towfique NK Lodi of Eastern Bank Limited (EBL) said while talking to the correspondent.

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Some senior officials of other private sector banks are also pinning high hopes.

Laying of pipeline under the Bogra Town Gas Supply Project is going on in full swing since the inauguration on January 5. The project will be completed at a cost of Tk 184 crore.

The planned gas supply has enlivened some reputed groups of companies including Mostafa Group of Industries, TK Group, Zahangir Group and Elite Group. They have purchased lands besides the Bogra-Dhaka highway close to the gas popeline for setting up industries.

Some industrialists have already submitted Project Proposal (PP) to the government and different banks for financial support, sources in banks said.

Bogra Chamber of Commerce and Industries President Fazlur Rahman Paiker said owners of some closed industries are also planning to reopen those.

"I am also planning to restart my North Bengal Auto Bricks and to set up a CNG (Compact Natural Gas) filling station", he said.

He said some companies and industrialist are preparing PP for fertiliser factory, dying factory, leather complex, garments, spinning mills and other industries.

Former president of Bogra Chamber of Commerce and Industries and Managing Director of Tajma Ceramic Industry Amjad Hossain Tajma said he will reopen the industry, closed three years ago. But he needs Tk five crore to convert furnace oil based factory to a gas-based one.

Officials of Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) said once gas is supplied, about 8000 LPG cylinders now needed for Bogra town will be supplied to other districts.

Senior Joint Secretary General of BNP Tariqe Rahman inaugurated the pipeline laying work at Silimpur in Bogra town. Deputy Minister for Energy and Mineral Resources Khandker AKM Mosaroaf Hassain was present as chief gust at the inaugural function. Lawkakers Kazi Rafiq, Halauzzman Talukder Lalu, Golam Mohammed Siraj, Abdul Momin Talukder and Dr. Zia-Ul-Haque Molla were present among others on the occasion.

Gas supply to Bogra was an election pledge of BNP chief Khalada Zia.