BOGURA — The government of Bangladesh has outlined plans to construct a 400-acre Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) industrial park in Bogura, aiming to power the northern district’s expanding light engineering and small-medium enterprise (SME) sectors.
Commerce, Industries, and Textiles Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir announced the initiative on Saturday during the installation ceremony of the newly elected committee of the Bogura Chamber of Commerce and Industry at the MomIn Convention Centre.
Redressing Decades of Economic Disparity
Addressing business leaders and civic representatives, Minister Muktadir pointed to official surveys showing vast untapped industrial potential across northern Bangladesh. He observed that despite two decades of developmental neglect, Bogura’s hardworking population has continued to play a central role in driving national economic growth.
The district remains a crucial agricultural and manufacturing node, generating an annual market turnover of roughly ৳3,500 crore in domestic and export sales. The proposed 400-acre estate aims to bridge historic investment gaps by equipping local machinery fabricators, agricultural processors, and light manufacturers with dedicated plots, streamlined utility connections, and modern logistical facilities.
Prominent Gathering of Political and Civic Leaders
The inauguration was led by Sheikh Robiul Islam, Minister for Road Transport and Bridges, Railways, and Shipping, who praised Bogura’s political legacy and recalled former President Ziaur Rahman’s foundational contributions to the nation.
Presided over by incoming chamber president Atiqur Rahman Badal, the gathering drew significant political, administrative, and civil society representation across northern Bangladesh, including:
-
Rezaul Karim Badsha, Member of Parliament for Bogura-6
-
Golam Mohammad Siraj, Member of Parliament for Bogura-5
-
Mosharraf Hossain, Member of Parliament for Bogura-4
-
Morshed Milton, Member of Parliament for Bogura-7
-
Abdul Muhit Talukder, Member of Parliament for Bogura-3
-
MR Islam Swadhin, Administrator of Bogura City Corporation
-
Benzir Ahmed, Chairman of BSCIC
-
Toufiqur Rahman, Deputy Commissioner of Bogura
-
Professor Dr Hosne Ara Begum, Executive Director of TMSS
-
Advocate Hamidul Haque Chowdhury Hiru, Vice-President of the Bogura Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Broad Infrastructure Roadmap Detailed
Detailing complementary regional plans, State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives Mir Shahe Alam outlined a series of strategic public works projects designed to turn Bogura into a commercial powerhouse.
The Prime Minister is scheduled to lay the foundation stone for the long-delayed Bogura-Sirajganj direct railway line between November and December. Authorities are also working to bring the local airport into commercial service for domestic routes by January 2027. Preliminary work on a pioneering drone manufacturing factory will start next month, alongside plans to build urban flyovers above railway crossings to clear bottleneck traffic in Bogura city.
Additional pledges include founding a multidisciplinary public university, creating a dedicated Bogura Road Zone, establishing an international sports village complete with a football stadium, and undertaking an environmental revival scheme for the Karatoya River. Regional entrepreneurs have welcomed the announcements as a vital turning point for northern industrial expansion.
