Muhith seeks more basic industrial units for sustainable development

Stressing the importance on setting up more basic industries for the economy, finance minister AMA Muhith said the country needs basic industries now to ensure sustainable development.

"Most of the industries that were set up in the past were linkage establishments but some basic industrial units are now being set up in the country," said the finance minister while speaking at a programme on Saturday.

The programme was organized to inaugurate Meghna Economic Zone, Meghna Industrial Economic Zone and eight industrial units of Meghna Group at Sonargaon in Narayangang.

Commerce minister Tofail Ahmed and railways minister Mujibul Haque attended the programme as special guests.

The finance minister hoped that the country's economic growth is likely to be 7.5 per cent against 7.4 percent projected in the budget for fiscal 2017-18.

He said the economic growth target for fiscal 2018-19 will be set at 7.8 per cent.

Tofail Ahmed said Bangladesh needs political stability for economic development. The country has achieved tremendous socioeconomic development due to the business and industrial friendly policy of the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, he added. Mujibul Haque urged the business community to establish more industries in the county to eliminate unemployment and poverty.

Meghna Group chairman Mostafa Kamal presided over the programme while FBCCI president Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin, principal coordinator for Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) affairs in the prime minister's office Abdul Kalam Azad, former BGMEA president Atiqul Islam, Chittagong chamber of commerce and industry president Mahbubul Alam, ICC-B president Mahbubur Rahman and executive chairman of Economic Zones Authority Paban Chowdhury, among others, spoke.