Photo : Collected
Kiam Glassware Industries Ltd, part of the BRB Group, is investing Tk1,200 crore to establish a cutting-edge glassware factory at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpa Nagar. The first unit is set to begin production in February 2025.
“Half of the first phase construction on 20 acres is complete,” said Md Mizber Rahman, managing director of Kiam Glassware. “We aim to start producing high-quality glassware by February next year.”
The factory will produce plates, glasses, jugs, cups, and bowls, creating jobs for 2,500-3,000 people. The project will be completed in two phases. The first phase, costing Tk500-600 crore, will include a soda-lime glass manufacturing unit producing 70 tonnes daily. The second phase will add a packaging industry and a unit producing 50 tonnes of opal glass daily, depending on demand.
“We aim to export our glassware products as well,” Rahman said. “About 70% of the necessary machinery has already been imported, with total investment expected between Tk1,000 and Tk1,200 crore.”
Kiam Glassware plans to bring in foreign trainers to train local workers for five to six months and will request housing facilities from the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (Beza) for workers, as the factory will operate 24/7 in three shifts.
Shaikh Yusuf Harun, former executive chairman of Beza, acknowledged the housing needs, stating that planned housing will be developed outside the economic zone once the land is obtained. For now, workers can rent nearby village houses with good transport links available.
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpa Nagar, the country's largest industrial city, spans 30,000 acres across Mirsarai and Sitakunda upazilas of Chattogram and Sonagazi upazila of Feni. Eleven establishments have already started production in this industrial city.
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