Although five years have passed since the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) made plans to establish an industrial park for automobile and light engineering industries in Jashore, the agency is yet to finalise the exact location for the project.

The initiative was taken based on a recommendation from a panel formed by the industries ministry. According to the plan, a park could be set up on 100 acres of land in Fatehpur mouza of Jashore, a centre for making farm machinery such as threshers.

Later in 2019, the BSCIC sought consent from the Jashore district administration to acquire the land for the project. The district has been registering decent growth in the establishment of auto workshops for the last several decades.

Local businesses said various types of parts, such as springs, propellers and chassis of private vehicles, brick and stone-crushing machines, concrete-mixture machines, water pumps and shallow engines, are made in the south-western district.

At least 300 establishments in the region are associated with the making and trading of light engineering products.

"Of them, about 200 are engaged in making auto parts and the bodies of buses," said Harun Ur Rashid, former general secretary of the Jashore Light Automobile Engineering Owners' Association.

More than 15,000 people are involved in these growing sectors.

In order to develop the park, the BSCIC previously requested the district administration to give an estimate on the availability and cost of land in Fatehpur.

In response, the deputy commissioner's office informed the agency that paddy and dates were being grown in the land where the park was planned for construction.

The DC office then requested the BSCIC to select low or non-agricultural land instead. The corporation later planned to develop the park at Harinar Beel, a wetland beside the Jashore-Satkhira road.

Recently, the BSCIC has sought permission from the district administration to acquire up to 500 acres of land to construct the industrial enclave.

"If we get the consent, we could start our work in the next fiscal year," said Rashedur Rahman, deputy general manager for planning at the BSCIC.

Lokman Hossain, owner of Rifat Engineering Works, says it will be of great benefit to all if an industrial park is set up in the region.

Md Tamijul Islam Khan, deputy commissioner, says the BSCIC is responsible for the land selection. "If they select the right place and apply to us, we will approve it."