BSCIC Barishal project in the slow lane

A project of the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) aimed at developing its industrial estate in Barishal and improving infrastructure there has again missed the deadline for completion owing to sluggish implementation, official documents showed.  

As a result, the project that set out its journey in January 2017 to raise the number of factories by 100 over a two-year period, is going to take seven years to carry out the same task if it is implemented within the new deadline of December 2023.

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council approved the fourth revision of the project on April 18.

It has witnessed 45 per cent physical progress so far, according to a document of the planning commission.

The project to develop the Barishal BSCIC industrial estate's underdeveloped areas and improve the infrastructure of the developed areas was estimated to cost Tk 52.20 crore initially.

The planning minister approved the first revision extending the deadline to December 2021 and raising the cost to Tk 71.54 crore. The BSCIC failed to complete the project even though the deadline was extended twice later.

About the reason for seeking the revision, the BSCIC, in its proposal, said sand-filling on 40 acres of land was ordered in 2019, but the work could not be completed on time due to various problems.

And it was not possible to float tenders for the other components of the project without completing the sand-filling, it said. The task was completed in August 2021.

The tender processes for all of the components of the project have been completed, paving the way for the construction to start.

Golam Rasul, industrial estate officer of the Barishal BSCIC, said three out of 13 components of the project have been completed. Another three components have seen around 90 per cent progress and the execution of other components is underway, he said.

Project Director Jalish Mahmood says entrepreneurs have become interested in setting up industries in Barishal after the government took up several mega projects in the region.

Already, the opening of the Padma Multipurpose Bridge has improved the connectivity between the southern region and other parts of the country to a greater extent.

Mahmood hopes that the project will be completed within the stipulated time.

The Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division of the planning ministry said the BSCIC would have to complete the project within the extended deadline.

"The deadline of the project can't be extended further."

Established in 1960, it is the largest industrial estate in Bangladesh, covering 130.31 acres of land in Barishal's Kawnia area.

The state agency has allocated 377 plots to entrepreneurs. Once the project is completed, the number of plots would go up to 470.

Some 177 factories were set up initially. Of them, 120 are operational now, employing 6,000 people.

"Once the ongoing project is implemented, 10,000 more people will be employed," said Rasul.

In Bangladesh, 4,511 factories are active in the 80 industrial estates run by the BSCIC. Collectively, they have created more than 850,000 jobs.