Industries Minister for All Stakeholders' Participation to Relocate Chemical Warehouses

DHAKA, Nov 9: Industries Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir has emphasized the need for active participation from all stakeholders to ensure a smooth and successful relocation of chemical warehouses.

Learning from past experiences, the minister stressed that the relocation must be managed efficiently to avoid the kind of complications faced during the Savar Tannery Estate project.

The minister made these remarks today while presiding over a views-exchange meeting at the ministry’s conference room. The meeting brought together relevant stakeholders to discuss the relocation of chemical warehouses and factories from Old Dhaka to the Chemical Industrial Park in Munshiganj, an initiative launched following the tragic fires in Nimtoli and Churihatta.

Minister Muktadir highlighted that relevant trade associations, public representatives, members of parliament, and heads of utility service providers have been actively involved in this project. The primary goal of this collective engagement is to establish shared ownership over the initiative to guarantee its success.

Highlighting the critical importance of installing an Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) at the Industrial Park, the minister firmly stated that project operations cannot commence without resolving all ETP-related issues. He stressed the need to reach a realistic decision to ensure effective waste treatment measures are fully functional from the very first day of factory operations. To achieve this, he urged all parties to collaborate and find effective solutions.

The minister reiterated that repeating the bitter experience of relocating the tannery industry from Old Dhaka to Savar is entirely unacceptable. He expressed optimism that, with everyone's cooperation, this relocation process will be seamless, systematic, and successful, ultimately accelerating the momentum and growth of the chemical industry in its new location.

Project Details:

The modern Chemical Industrial Park is being developed on 308 acres of land along the banks of the Ichamati River, covering the Goalikhali, Chitrakota, and Kamarkanda mouzas of Sirajdikhan Upazila in Munshiganj. Being built at a cost of BDT 1,454.80 crore, the park will accommodate 1,531 industrial plots. Currently, 83 percent of the project work has been completed, and the entire project is slated for completion by June 2027. - PID Handout