Jagaran Chakma

In only a few years, property solutions provider Bproperty has created a branch of the real estate industry focused on the trade of second hand flats. Mark Nosworthy, CEO of Bproperty, sat with The Daily Star to express his views on the country’s real estate sector and how Bproperty fits into the big picture.

Berger Fosroc Ltd, a joint venture of Berger Paints Bangladesh and Fosroc International Ltd, yesterday opened a construction chemicals plant to cater for the growing domestic market for chemicals and cut import dependence.

Medicine exports to the developed countries are steadily growing riding on the attainment of regulatory approval from the US, European and some other countries helped by Bangladesh’s capacity to produce high-quality drugs at affordable prices.

The price of aluminium products in the domestic markets has increased abnormally in the last couple of weeks due to the rising cost of raw materials at the international level, according to industry insiders.

The market for light commercial vehicles (LCVs) is growing steadily thanks to the rising number of small and medium enterprises and young entrepreneurs running businesses all over Bangladesh, according to market players.

The government’s jute diversification plan is a good initiative but its implementation has been slow due to a lack of technology, skilled manpower and relevant research, according to industry insiders.

Rising  freight rates globally for demand recovery and supply disruptions as  well as an increase in transport costs locally owing to a hike in diesel  prices have made it difficult for small-scale cement manufacturers to  compete in Bangladesh.

The implementation of the government’s plan to bring about large-scale industrialisation is in the slow lane as only two state-run economic zones are currently ready for setting up factories although Bangladesh set out nearly seven years ago to establish them.

Foreign assistance disbursement and commitment both increased in Bangladesh in the first seven months of the current fiscal year thanks to speedy release of funds and additional promises as support for tackling the pandemic.

The government has allowed the export of soybean meals on a case-by-case basis, a move that has generated anger among dairy farmers.

Ayush Jain, managing director of Delhi-based automotive component manufacturer Kube Autotech Pvt, had no idea about the growing aftermarket sales in Bangladesh.

Production at state-run sugar mills is set to hit its lowest point in over a decade as sugarcane processing has fallen sharply amid reduced supply, according to the Bangladesh Sugar and Food Industries Corporation (BSFIC).

“If the city corporations become involved in giving permission for construction, it would have a negative impact on the housing industry,” said Alamgir Shamsul Alamin, president of the Real Estate and Housing Association of Bangladesh (REHAB).

Rubber production is growing in Bangladesh, buoyed by increased domestic use and surging exports, particularly to neighbouring India.

The railways ministry has asked the Economic Relations Division (ERD) to search for funds for a project to convert the Akhaura-Sylhet rail track into dual gauge from metre gauge.

Foreign investors expect hassle-free, ready-to-use industrial setups, which the country’s leather sector, especially footwear and associated goods, lacks, says Md Saiful Islam, president of the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dhaka (MCCI).

A top footwear manufacturer is setting up a shoe industrial park, the first of its kind in Bangladesh, to supply import substitute raw materials and accessories to producers, boost exports and attract foreign investment.

Bangladesh’s largest industrial enclave, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpa Nagar, in Mirsarai, Chattogram, finally witnessed the start of operations of its maiden factory last week.

While foreign construction firms are using imported prefabricated modular units of steel in the country’s mega projects, Dhaka Mass Transit Company is using that made locally in the metro rail project, resting assured of their international standard.

The demand for motorcycles with a higher engine capacity is growing among bike enthusiasts in Bangladesh as these models are becoming increasingly safer and cheaper.