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Japanese help sought for setting up urea factory |
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August 25, 2000
Dhaka (UNB) – Industries Minister Tofail Ahmed has requested the Japanese government to set up another urea factory in Bangladesh to meet the growing demand of fertilizer. “Our agriculture is expanding and we need more fertilizer,” he told Shin Sakurai, special assistant to Japanese Prime Minister and vice president of Japan-Bangladesh Association. Tofail also sought Japanese assistance for augmentation of Chittagong Urea Fertilizer factory and set up an affluent treatment plant to process wastes of leather industries in the capital. Sakurai, during the meeting with the minister at his office yesterday (Thursday), said he would talk about the projects with appropriate authority so that more projects could be implemented in Bangladesh. The visiting Japanese leader said his country is eager to promote bilateral ties with Bangladesh and Prime Minister Mori’s visit here was a clear signal to that end, said an official handout. Tofail Ahmed informed him about the prospect of setting up gas-based fertilizer factory in Bangladesh. “We have huge gas, so we want to fulfill local demand totally from our production.” Identifying KAFCO as a flagship investment from Japan, the minister said all matters centering KAFCO are moving in the right direction. “We are very close to resolve the KAFCO issue including the gas-price formula,” he added. Tofail said Bangladesh greatly value the friendship with Japan. “Economic ties between the two countries have been strengthening since independence and many projects have been implemented here.” He said the government has decided to set up a di-ammonium phosphate plant with the support of Japan and is like to install a granular plant in Chittagong Urea Fertilizer Factory (CUFL) to convert urea to granular form. Tofail sought Japanese support for augmentation of CUFL to increase the production of ammonia. “Bangladesh hopes that Japan will extend assistance to set up a central affluent treatment plant to process wastes of leather industries in the capital,” he said. Hoping for more generous support from Japan for industrialization in Bangladesh, the minister said: “we want to create more employment to resolve our huge unemployment problem.” Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Kazuyoshi Urabe, among others, was present on the occasion. |