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Lafarge Holcim Bangladesh Limited resumed manufacturing and selling aggregates again after two months, as it obtained permission from the High Court after a hearing on Tuesday.
The multinational cement maker disclosed the development in a filing with the Dhaka Stock Exchange on Wednesday.
On September 17, the Industries Ministry issued a notice directing the company to stop the limestone sale in the open market. Aggregates are made of limestone.
Aggregates are inert granular materials such as sand, gravel, or crushed stone that, along with water and portland cement, are an essential ingredient of concrete.
The ministry imposed the ban in response to the complaints lodged by the local traders, according to a notice issued by the ministry on September 16, 2021.
It directed the relevant agencies, including Sylhet and Sunamganj district administrations to take steps in this regard.
On Wednesday, LafargeHolcim share gained 0.24 per cent to Tk 81.90 on the Dhaka Stock Exchange.
On May 5, local limestone importers wrote to the ministry about the limestone sale in the market by the multinational company illegally, as the company is allowed to import limestone from India exclusively for use as a raw material in cement production.
The traders were worried that if Lafarge continues to sell limestone in the market, local importers will be affected as they import limestone paying the tax, much higher than Lafarge does.
In 2009, the company had taken a similar move, which was halted in the face of protests from the traders. In 2016, the company had sat with the local limestone importers to settle the issue, but to no avail.
In March this year, the traders staged a protest against the sale of limestone in the open market by the cement maker.
They said the government faced a huge revenue loss due to the illegal open market sale of imported raw materials. And the illegal selling hit the livelihood of hundreds of local limestone traders and labourers, they claimed.
