Our Correspondent

KHULNA, Oct 25: The flow of investment into the Khulna division declined drastically during the last six years.

A total of 112 industrial units have been established in the country's southern region during the period.

Of them, 65 units have already been closed down and the flow of investment has declined severely.

According to sources at Investment Board, Khulna, 112 industrial units have been set up in 10 districts of the division from 2004 to 2009.

The industries are pharmaceuticals, fish processing units, PVC pipe, crockery, sanitary fittings, plywood, polymer industries, textile mill, jute mill, jute re-rolling mill, poultry farms and hatcheries, coconut and Soya bin oil refineries, salt, ice, cement factories, herbal and cosmetics and poultry and fish feed industries.

As 65 industrial units have closed down, the flow of investment into the region has witnessed a 46 per cent decline.

The investment board and the investors of the region have identified some causes for the closure of these industrial units.

The causes they identified are lack of gas supply through pipe line, continued load-shedding, absence of airport, higher lending rates, inadequate supply of furnace oil and communication mismanagement.

Shekhar Lal Saha, assistant director of Investment Board, Khulna said if the aforementioned problems were addressed then investment-friendly environment will exist in the region and more industries would be set up in this region.

President of Khulna Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) Shaharuzzaman Murtoza asked the government to take immediate steps to supply gas through pipe-line to the region.

He also put stress on smooth operation of Mongla Port for boosting the investment-friendly atmosphere in the region.