Jagaran Chakma is a Staff Reporter of The Daily Star
The demand for steel in Bangladesh has almost halved over the past two months as most construction works have been halted following the recent political changeover, according to industry people.
Automobile sales have dropped substantially since July this year amidst the economic downturn and political turmoil, denting any hopes of recovering from last year’s slump, according to market insiders.
The fate of six state-owned sugar mills remains uncertain as there has been no upgrading progress since those were closed three and a half years ago, contributing to soaring prices of the sweetener in the local market.
Meghna Automobiles, the automotive arm of Meghna Group, began selling three locally assembled sport utility vehicles (SUVs) of South Korean automobile manufacturer KIA recently.
Sales of cement nearly halved in the last couple of months as real estate developers shelved construction plans while public projects came screeching to a halt in the face of nationwide unrest and the sudden political changeover.
Tyre makers in Bangladesh are ramping up production in a bid to expand their market share by catering to a potential supply shortage that may arise from the recent destruction of the Gazi Tyres factory in Rupganj upazila of Narayanganj.
Global hikes in tyre and tube-making raw materials rates and a factory rampage at local key manufacturer Gazi Tyres have caused a shortage and price hikes for the auto item used in lightweight two- and three-wheelers like motorbikes and auto-rickshaws.
Standing outside the charred ruins of the Gazi Tyres factory in Rupsi, Rupganj on September 9, Billal Hossain was staring at a bleak future.
Bangladesh, a laggard in the production of raw materials for the $3 billion pharmaceuticals industry, has made a four-fold jump in the manufacturing of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) in the last decade to meet growing demand.
Development spending rose to a four-month high of Tk 10,151 crore in October as the government has accelerated expenditure to revive the economy reeling under the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.
Samorita Hospital, the lone listed healthcare provider, yesterday reported a sharp drop in profit for the last fiscal year, reflecting the sluggish business in the country’s private healthcare sector as most treatment-seekers opted to stay away from hospitals.
Nitol Motors’ plan to roll out locally assembled electric vehicles (EVs) has faced a setback as a fallout of the coronavirus pandemic, which is forcing the company to take two and a half years in additional time before making the cars available in Bangladesh.
The Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) has proposed reducing the motorcycle registration fee for two slabs to 4.9 per cent and 8.4 per cent respectively to make the popular two-wheelers cheaper for users.
Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Ltd (HPL) is going to invest about Tk 220 crore ($25.68 million) to establish large-scale active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and formulation facilities to meet their growing demand in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh could sign an agreement with India within a short time to begin construction of the India Special Economic Zone (ISEZ), where billions of dollars of investment are expected to pour in from the neighbouring country.
Meghna Group of Industries (MGI) is investing Tk 400 crore to set up a ceramics factory at the Meghna Economic Zone in Narayanganj as the conglomerate looks to establish its footprint in the country’s burgeoning sector.
Bangladesh’s first dedicated bitumen plant established by Bashundhara Group at a cost of around $143.7 million is all set to begin commercial production at the end of this month to meet the domestic demand for asphalt.
Japanese firm Ship Healthcare Holdings in partnership with Bangladesh’s Aichi Medical Group will set up a 1,000-bed dedicated cancer hospital and research centre in Dhaka at a cost of Tk 2,000 crore.