No repeat of Savar's mistakes: Industries minister seeks all parties' involvement in chemical park relocation
Industries Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir does not want a repeat of the complications seen in Savar's leather industrial city when relocating the chemical warehouses and factories of Old Dhaka to the Chemical Industrial Park in Munshiganj.
He said this while speaking as chair at an exchange-of-views meeting with stakeholders on the relocation, held in the conference room of the Ministry of Industries on Monday (November 9).
The minister said the active participation of all concerned parties must be ensured to make the relocation process smooth and successful.
He said that, learning from past experience, the relocation work must be conducted in such a way that no complications like those in Savar's leather industrial city arise this time.
To make the initiative successful, the concerned associations, public representatives, members of parliament and heads of utility service providers have been involved. The minister said the aim is to create a sense of ownership of the project among all stakeholders through everyone's combined efforts.
The minister placed special emphasis on setting up an effluent treatment plant (ETP) at the Chemical Industrial Park in Munshiganj. He said the project's work cannot begin without resolving the ETP-related problems.
An effective waste treatment system must be in place from the very first day a factory starts operating. He said a realistic decision must be reached on this after discussions with all concerned parties.
The minister said a repeat of the bitter earlier experience of Savar's leather industrial city is in no way desirable in relocating industries from Old Dhaka. He expressed hope that, with everyone's cooperation, this relocation process will be smooth, continuous and successful.
He also said that once the chemical warehouses are relocated to the new site, the progress of this industry will become even more dynamic.
According to the Ministry of Industries, the Chemical Industrial Park is being built on 308 acres of land in Goalkhali, Chitrakot and Kamarkanda mouzas of Sirajdikhan upazila in Munshiganj, on the bank of the Ichamati river.
The project, costing 1,454 crore 80 lakh taka, plans to allocate 1,531 industrial plots. Eighty-three percent of the project's work has already been completed.
The target has been set to complete the project's work by June 2027.
