RAJSHAHI, Dec 5, 2020 (BSS) – The industrial estate of Bangladesh Small and
Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) in Rajshahi has created job
opportunities for 1,505 people in various trades in the last 2019-2020 fiscal
year that showing the progress of 114 percent.
The people got the jobs in various fields like enterprise development,
skill development and training, industry ownership transfer and establishment
of new industries.
Employment for around 6,500 people is expected to be generated in the next
five years, said Jafor Bayazid, deputy general manager of BSCIC.
He said 197 people were imparted entrepreneurship and skill development
training, while 380 others trained on computer, food processing, cutting and
sewing, mobile phone repairing, electrical and house wearing and motor
driving.
Meanwhile, the Rajshahi BSCIC has been manufacturing various personal
protective gears including disinfectants to fight against the novel
coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Jafor Bayazid said 76 industrial estates across the country have been
producing a wide range of essential medicines and medical supplies, including
disinfectant hand sanitizer since the outbreak of Covid-19 in the country.
In line with this, Rajshahi Industrial Estate is leading in the production
of disinfectant hand sanitizer.
In addition to manufacturing of hand sanitizers, personal protective
equipment (PPEs) and masks, successful marketing of those were arranged.
The estate has, so far, produced and marketed around 2.50 lakh bottles of
hand sanitizers, 3,000 PPEs and 6.60 lakh surgical face masks contributing a
lot to meeting up the gradually mounting demands of those everywhere in the
society to cope with the present crisis situation.
Twelve rice mills are producing 450 tonnes of rice, three mills producing
250 tonnes of pulse and an automatic mill producing 450 tonnes of flour daily
on an average playing a vital role towards food security besides job creation
for many unemployed people.
Besides, the estate is producing different life saving medicines, essential
commodities and medical supplies, including 1,200 liters of hand sanitizer
daily.
Tim Pharmaceutical Limited of the industrial city has already produced
12,000 to 15,000 bottles of hand sanitizer. The hand sanitizers are being
supplied to different districts, upazilas and even union levels across the
country.
Besides, the company has produced 10,000 packets of various life-saving
drugs with a market value of around Taka 50 lakh. The productive activities
have generated fresh job opportunities for 250 people both male and female
through maintaining health directives.
Moreover, three more companies — Asoka Laboratories, Hawks Pharma and
Shahi Laboratories — are producing Unani or Ayurvedic medicines by following
the hygiene rules.
Among the industrial units in the industrial estate, there are 46 food item
producing factories. The factories are producing different items, including
rice, pulse, flour, semai (vermicelli), chanachur, biscuits, cakes, bread,
mustard oil, ice cream and pure drinking water.
Among the factories, Nova Asia Agro Industries is exporting 100 percent of
its food products to the United States and Canada.
The 325-plot BSCIC industrial estate, established in 1961 on 95.71 acres of
land on the city’s outskirts, has been providing electricity, water supply,
security, road and drainage facilities to the entrepreneurs for running their
business.
Several silk-clothes manufacturing units earned reputation for their
quality products. They expect that there would be no more sick industry in
the estate, the official said.
Terming the BSCIC industrial area viable for any small and medium industry,
Liakat Ali, president of Bangladesh Silk Industries Owners Association, said
the entrepreneurs are making a profit and demanding uninterrupted power and
gas supply to the BSCIC for reducing production costs.