DHAKA, Nov 6, 2019 (BSS) – With the call for setting up climate-friendly
cement industry, Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury today said the
government is committed to tackling climate change impact and achieving SDGs
in the context of country’s national development framework and goals.
“Bangladesh has made remarkable progress in reducing poverty and
accelerating economic growth. Now it is time to move towards environment
friendly cement industry”, he said while addressing as the chief guest at a
three-day ‘International Cement Industry Conference’, organized by INTERCEM
in association with the ‘Bangladesh Cement Manufacturers’ Association (BCMA)’
at a hotel here, a press release said.
The minister said sustained economic growth has rapidly increased the
demand for urbanization, industrialization and energy which lead to huge
opportunities for the cement industry to expand and progress.
The conference is attended by cement manufacturers from United States,
Australia, Bangladesh, China, Cyprus, Egypt, Germany, Hong Kong, India,
Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Malta, Nepal, The Netherlands, Oman,
Pakistan, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, UK, and
Vietnam – including Bangladesh.
The government is establishing 100 economic zones across the country
supported by one stop services as well as other basic infrastructures such as
modern road connectivity, electricity, gas and security, Saifuzzaman said,
adding that it (government) will welcome investment in these economic zones.
BCMA President Alamgir Kabir, INTERCEM Chief Executive Malcolm
Shelbourne, along with the entrepreneurs, businesspersons, executives, and
other stakeholders of the cement manufacturing industry from home and abroad
were present at the event.
The ongoing conference is expected to provide a forum for cement
industry executives from across the region to meet, network and access
market-leading presentations and forecasts on developments in Bangladesh and
across Asia.
Bangladesh is the 40th largest Cement market in the world and the
world’s biggest clinker import market, while also a major cement
manufacturing country, according to the release. Once a cement importer,
Bangladesh is now a cement exporting nation, it added.