Dhaka:The second meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Industries took place at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, chaired by Md Abul Kalam.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the meeting began with a recitation from the Holy Quran and proceeded to review the progress in implementing decisions from the committee's first meeting. Discussions included the implementation of various decisions, progress of development projects, fund release and expenditure, and existing obstacles to project implementation.
The committee examined the development projects under the Ministry of Industries, focusing on projects aimed at expanding and strengthening district-level offices of the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI), modernizing regional offices, and developing infrastructure in the industrial sector. Additionally, the meeting addressed the production and capacity issues of Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) factories, new projects, reopening closed fertilizer factories, gas supply, operational problems, and fertilizer production costs.
The committee emphasized the need for uninterrupted gas supply to fertilizer factories and urged maximum utilization of existing production capacity. It also stressed the importance of completing projects within the stipulated timeframe and recommended that the ministry and its departments accelerate project implementation, ensure proper fund utilization, and resolve existing obstacles promptly.
A report on the annual income and expenditure of factories and industries under the ministry's departments and agencies was presented, along with information on vacant posts and the progress of ongoing development works for the 2026-27 fiscal year. The committee directed that reports be submitted at the next meeting on making loss-making sugar mills profitable through bio-products and on the status of recruitment for vacant posts.
Industries Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir, along with committee members Abdus Salam Azad, Kazi Rafiqul Islam, Biswas Jahangir Alam, Mustafizur Rahman Bhuiyan, Manzur Elahi, Md Enamul Haque, and Masud Saeed, attended the meeting.