BPGMEA urges govt to finish construction fast

Bangladesh Plastic Goods Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BPGMEA) on Tuesday urged the government to finish the plastic industrial estate construction in Munshiganj quickly as the project’s slow progress is creating challenges.

Its President Shamim Ahmed made the call in a press conference at the BPGMEA auditorium in the capital. The briefing was arranged to announce the 15th Bangladesh International Plastic, Packaging, and Printing Industrial Fair (IPF-2023).

“We want to relocate our industry from Old Dhaka to the new plastic industrial city quickly for further development as the demand for plastic items is going up vastly in domestic and international markets,” he said.

The four-day fair will start on February 22 at International Convention City Bashundhara in Dhaka. BPGMEA and Yorkers Trade and Marketing Service Co will jointly organise the fair where plastic household items, crockeries, packaging materials, toys, plastic furniture, melamine, and garment accessories will be showcased. According to BPGMEA, traders from 21 countries, including China, India, Pakistan, the US, Turkey, the UAE, Malaysia, and Italy, will set up 760 stalls and booths at the fair. 77 Bangladeshi companies will set up 169 stalls while the rest will be foreign stalls. 

Shamim expressed hope at the briefing that they can relocate to the new estate by this year if the government finishes it and hands it over to them. “Earth filling is going on at the new site. We also hope the plastic sector roadmap 2030 will be implemented soon.”