Beximco borrowed Tk 12,000cr loans against 16 non-existent factories

Some Tk 12,000 crore has been borrowed against the names of 16, out of 32 factories, at the Beximco Industrial Park which have no existence, according to the advisory council committee formed to review the labour and business situation of the companies at the industrial park.

Brigadier General (Retd) Sakhawat Hossain, convener of the committee, and Labour and Employment adviser, stated it at a press conference held at the Secretariat in the capital on Thursday (January 23).

He said the workers and employees of Beximco Industrial Park thronged at Sreepur Maya Nagar ground in Gazipur on January 21 last and demanded of opening all the factories withdrawing the lay-offs.

They also declared that they would adopt a shutdown programme including blockading the Dhaka-Tangail Highway unless the factories were opened by 3:00pm on January 22 (Wednesday).

The Adviser for Labour and Employment Ministry said though 16, out of total 32 factories, at the Beximco Industrial Park don’t exist, some Tk 12,000 crore loan was taken against those entities. Twelve factories were laid off by the management, which was not the government’s decision, he added.

Sakhawat said three, out of 16 factories, are now on running. The amount of loans taken against 32 factories at the Beximco Industrial Park is more than Tk 40,000 crore. Of the amount, Janata Bank owes Tk 23,285 crore.