Bashundhara to set up hi-tech packaging paper industry

Country’s leading business conglomerate Bashundhara Group will establish a packaging paper manufacturing industry in Bangladesh with world’s latest technology to produce high-quality products as import substitutes. Bashundhara Group signed an agreement in this regard with renowned Finland-based Valmet Technologies Inc at the conference room at Bashundhara Industrial Headquarters-2 at Bashundhara Residential Area in the city on Thursday. Safwan Sobhan, Vice-chairman of Bashundhara Group, Md Mustafizur Rahman, Deputy Managing Director (DMD) of Bashundhara Group, Petri Paukkunen, Vice-president of Valmet Technologies and Veli-Matti Miskala, General Manager (sales) of Valmet Technologies signed the deal on behalf of their respective sides. Mirza Mujahidul Islam, Executive Director (Accounts and Finance) of Bashundhara Group, Md Mozammel Hossain, head of project of Bashundhara Multi Paper Industries Limited, Jukka Aalto, Technical Product Manager, Risto Oksman, Process Technology Manager, and Juha Kovanen, Senior Board Technology Manager of Valmet Technologies were also present on the occasion. “Initially, we will set up two paper manufacturing units in Bashundhara Especial Economic Zone in Keraniganj,” Bashundhara Group Deputy Managing Director Md Mustafizur Rahman said. “The project will cost around Tk 4,000 crore and the new units will start production after 27 months,” he added. “Those units will have the capacity to produce at least 2000 tonnes pulp and board each day, against the market demand of about 5 lakh tonnes annually,” he said, adding that with the new state-of-the-art units, Bashundhara Group is planning to double its paper production capacity within a year to grab the export market. He also said the industry would create jobs for 10,000 people. Valmet Technologies Vice-president Petri Paukkunen said they are a leading global developer and supplier of technologies, automation and services for the pulp, paper and energy industries. “Bangladesh offers a potential market for Valmet Technologies,” he added. Petri Paukkunen also said they offer the latest technology for the manufacturers to produce high-quality packaging boards, and the technology is famous for its energy-efficient features. “Our company has over 200 years of industrial history and was reborn through the demerger of the pulp, paper and power businesses,” Paukkunen said.