“Building world class vehicle is our government’s dream ... The work to formulate a policy for the development of the automobile industry is in the final stage,” he said after inaugurating IFAD Autos Limited’s “Ashok Leyland Air Conditioned Luxury Bus” at the company’s factory in Dhamrai.
After visiting the assembling factory, Humayun said they will provide all necessary assistance to the company.
He urged automobile entrepreneurs to come forward to further develop the sector as there is a huge potential. “The government is ready to provide you all sorts of support to build a developed country by 2041,” he said.
Humayun also emphasised working on further enrichment of modern technology to help the automobile industry flourish.
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State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Dr Md Enamur Rahman urged the authorities concerned to introduce a subject focusing on automobile manufacturing at the universities.
“There are many theoretical subjects on technology but our students can’t build automobile. So they have to be given practical [training on the matter],” he said.
We’ve to hire many foreigners due to lack of skilled manpower. But there is 37 percent youth in Bangladesh. We should teach and train them properly to utilise them. This’ll allow us to run the automobile industry with local manpower, he added.
Dr Enamur also said the automobile importers have to pay a lot of money as tax. The money will be saved if Bangladesh can manufacture the vehicles here.
“Bangladesh should increase production capacity of all products instead of importing them,” he added.
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Dhaka-20 constituency’s MP Benjir Ahmed said he gets offer from different countries that they need technical staff. “But I can’t send people there because we don’t have skilled manpower. There’s no alternative to provide technical education to our youth,” he said.
IFAD group Chairman Iftekhar Ahmed Tipu said they set up their company at Dhamrai in 2017 aiming to assemble 12,000 vehicles every year.
Chairman of Bangladesh Trade and Tariff Commission Munshi Shahabuddin Ahmed was also present at the event.