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Bangladesh Rubber Garden Owner's Association (BRGOA) on Sunday pressed 11-point demands to the government including declaring rubber as an agricultural product.
“Rubber Research Institute should be built as well as security in rubber cultivation areas should also be ensured for the country's economic development”, BRGOA Adviser and also Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce & Industries (FBCCI) Director Syed Moazzem Hossain said.
Moazzem, also the SMH Group managing director made the call at a press conference at Jatiya Press Club in Dhaka.
"Different countries of the world have declared rubber as an agricultural product. But, Bangladesh did not declare it yet. Rubber is used to make around 1,20,000 products around the globe. So, rubber is a very potential sector for us too," Moazzem said.
He also urged the government to withdraw VAT and taxes on rubber products, import hybrid rubber seeds from abroad, and provide bank loans for rubber cultivators at low-interest-rate, as well as renew the agreement of the plots which were allotted in 1980.
Moazzem informed that the rubbers are cultivated on around one lakh acres of land in the country including hill districts, and the Sylhet area. Some 1,300 rubber cultivators made nearly 1,00,000 jobs in the country.
Among others, PHP, and Gazi Group also invested in the sector.
BRGOA President Muhammad Harun and the association's members also were present at the event.
