Govt implementing 4 projects for Tk450cr to diversify exports

Commerce Secretary Dr Md Jafar Uddin has said that the Ministry of Commerce is going to build four technology centres for using up-to-date modern technology to diversify, standardise and excel in export through the Export Competitiveness for Jobs (EC4J) project.

Ten acres of land has been acquired from Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) for construction of the world-class technology centre at the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpa Nagar in Mirsarai, Chattogram.

Bangabandhu Hi-Tech City authority have handed over 4.04 acres of land to the EC4J project; land for the remaining two centres will also be available soon, reads a press release.

Under this project, four international standard technology centres will be constructed at a cost of Tk450 crore. Of the amount, Tk318 crore will come from the World Bank, while the government will spend Tk132 crore.

The commerce secretary said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, our goal is to be able to play a role in achieving the Agenda 2030, the government's vision of achieving the status of an upper-middle-income country by 2031 and a developed country by 2041.

He made the remarks while speaking as the chief guest at the handing over ceremony of 10 acres of land by BEZA to the EC4J project at Mirsarai, Chattogram on Thursday.

Outside the ready-made garment industry, Bangladesh has potential to excel in exporting four more products — leather and leather goods, footwear, plastic goods and light engineering products.

The EC4J project aims to diversify exports through products in these four categories.

The technology centres will have 3D printing and design centres, testing and calibration labs, industrial automation centres, technology innovation and incubation centres, workshops, machine-shops, library buildings, business centres, etc.

These centres will play a key role in enhancing the capacity of the individual sectors by overcoming the limitations of the use of modern technology, scarcity of different types of die molds, product design and innovation capabilities, inadequacy of quality, testing and servicing and shortage of skilled manpower.