Lesson 1/45 min
Fertiliser, sugar, paper & cement
Fertiliser factories
| Factory | Location | Key facts |
|---|---|---|
| Fenchuganj Fertiliser Factory | Fenchuganj, Sylhet | The country's first fertiliser factory; started 1961; raw material natural gas |
| Shahjalal Fertiliser Factory | Fenchuganj, Sylhet | Urea fertiliser |
| Jamuna Fertiliser Factory | Tarakandi, Jamalpur | State-owned; started 1991; capacity 1,700 tonnes a day; granular urea |
| Zia Fertiliser Factory | Ashuganj, Brahmanbaria | Urea fertiliser |
| Ghorasal Fertiliser Factory | Ghorasal | Urea fertiliser |
| Chattogram Urea Fertiliser Factory | Chattogram | Urea fertiliser |
| KAFCO (Karnaphuli Fertilizer Company) | Anwara, Chattogram | Biggest in the private sector; built with Japanese help; production began December 1994 |
Watch out: The two books disagree on the largest fertiliser factory (Shahjalal in one, Jamuna in the other), and Jamuna is also described as the second largest urea plant, so no “largest” tag is given. Many books give 1992 for Jamuna; here it is 1991.
Fertiliser: more
- The raw material of urea is methane (natural gas)
- Swarna fertiliser was invented by Dr. Abdul Khaleque; scientific name Phytohormone Inducer
- He also developed phytoplankton and zooplankton fertilisers
Paper mills
| Mill | Location | Raw material / fact |
|---|---|---|
| Karnaphuli Paper Mills | Chandraghona, Rangamati | Bamboo and softwood; the first and biggest paper mill (started 1953) |
| Khulna Newsprint Mills | Khulna | Gewa wood of the Sundarbans; closed 30 November 2002 |
| North Bengal Paper Mills | Pakshi, Pabna | Sugarcane bagasse |
| Sylhet paper mill | Sylhet region | Reeds and grass; makes pulp and paper |
| Bashundhara Paper Mills | — | Imported pulp |
Watch out: Many books give 1953 for Karnaphuli Paper Mills; some sources say construction finished in October 1952. Exams follow the books' 1953.
Sugar and cement
- Bangladesh Sugar and Food Industries Corporation (BSFIC) was set up in 1976; it runs 15 sugar mills
- Six of the 15 have been closed since FY2020-21; nine operate
- First sugar mill: North Bengal Sugar Mills, Gopalpur, Natore
- Kerew & Co. sugar mill: Darshana, Chuadanga
- The sugar-industry training institute and the Sugarcrop Research Institute: Ishwardi, Pabna
- Lafarge Surma Cement Company Ltd is a major cement factory
- Main raw materials of cement: gypsum and limestone
Check yourself
Which was the country's first fertiliser factory?
At a glance
- 1
The first fertiliser factory is at Fenchuganj, Sylhet (1961).
- 2
KAFCO at Anwara, Chattogram is the biggest private-sector fertiliser factory; production began December 1994.
- 3
Jamuna Fertiliser Factory is at Tarakandi, Jamalpur and makes granular urea.
- 4
Karnaphuli Paper Mills uses bamboo; Khulna Newsprint Mills closed on 30 November 2002.
- 5
The sugar-industry training institute is at Ishwardi; the first sugar mill is at Gopalpur, Natore.