Linde to invest $17m to build oxygen plant at BSMSN

Linde Bangladesh Ltd – a leading medical and industrial gas producer in the country – will set up an oxygen plant on five acres of land at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpa Nagar (BSMSN).

The company will invest about $17 million to set up the plant that will employ 70 people and produce medical oxygen as well as other industrial gases.

Linde and five other organisations signed land lease agreements with the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) on Wednesday at the BEZA office in Agargaon, Dhaka.

These six companies will invest $70 million in various sectors in the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpa Nagar, Sabrang Tourism Park, and Jamalpur Economic Zone.

Bibhabasu Sengupta, managing director of Linde, said, "We will build a standard oxygen plant that will produce three types of gases—oxygen, nitrogen, and argon. The oxygen produced will be used for both medical and industrial purposes."

"Bangladesh's economic growth has led to the growth of our company. With the needs of Bangladeshis in mind in the future, we have taken steps to create new manufacturing units. We hope that we will be able to meet the demands of the future," he added.

Linde has been a prominent presence in Bangladesh since 1953, evolving into one of the foremost gases and engineering firms in the country. Operating under the name Bangladesh Oxygen Ltd initially, it was recently rebranded as Linde Bangladesh Ltd.

The company boasts an extensive range of industrial, specialty, and medical gases in its product portfolio, along with the country's most extensive direct sales and distribution network

BEZA Executive Chairman Shaikh Yusuf Harun said, "Linde has supported us by providing oxygen during the Covid-19 pandemic. We will provide them with the necessary support to build their new industrial unit."

"Our goal is to build 100 economic zones across the country by 2041. The main purpose of building economic zones is to build industrial factories in one place. All the support that the government is supposed to provide, such as water, gas, and electricity, needs to be provided," he added.

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpa Nagar, the country's largest industrial city, is being built on 33,000 acres of land in Chattogram's Mirsarai and Sitakunda upazilas and Feni's Sonagazi upazila.

The five other investments will be:

Master Rack and Furniture is going to set up rack and other furniture manufacturing industry on three acres of land at BSMSN. The company will invest about $7 million in setting up the industry and employment opportunities will be for about 800 people.

Kinbo Manufacturing Industries Ltd will set up a kitchen appliances factory in Jamalpur Economic Zone on two acres of land with an investment of about $2 million.

Sanjana Fabrics Ltd., OMC Ltd., and SSL Hotel and Resorts would construct hotels and resorts at Sabrang Tourism Park, spending a total of $20 million, $7.06 million, and $16.15 million, respectively.

The Sabrang Tourism Park – the country's first exclusive tourism park – is under construction in Cox's Bazar.