Sector insiders of the country's cement sheet manufacturing industry at a seminar on Sunday said around Tk 1,000 crore has been invested in the cement sheet sector in Bangladesh so far. At present 5 cement sheet manufacturing companies in the country have an annual production capacity of about 3.62 lakh metric tonnes.
The data was revealed at a workshop titled 'Green construction: How cement sheet is transforming Bangladesh's agricultural economy' held at the Economic Reporters Forum (ERF) in the capital.
ERF and Bangladesh Cement Sheet Manufacturing Association (BCSMA) jointly organized the workshop. Dr. Musaddique Hossain president of BCSMA, Waeez R Hossain, Deputy Managing Director (DMD), Anwar Group of Industries, a major entrepreneur in the cement sheet industry, spoke in the event as panel discussant.
ERF president Mohammad Refait Ullah Mirdha in the chair and the General Secretary Abul Kashem also spoke in the program.The executive director of the Agricultural Research Foundation Dr. Nathu Ram Sarker presented the main keynote paper on the topic.
Speakers opined that if cement sheets are used in the livestock sector, especially in poultry and cattle farms, it is possible to increase production by more than Tk12,300 crore annually in the country, said industry officials. They said, by reducing the cost of production on the one hand, marginal farms will be able to return to profit, on the other hand, consumers will be able to eat eggs, milk and meat at a lower price. Waeez R Hossain said that there is a silent revolution in the use of cement sheets in the production of cattle and poultry sector across the country.
“The use of cement sheets in the country has increased the production of eggs, milk and meat by about 9 percent. Cement sheets not only protect fish and livestock from diseases but also reduce mortality by about 10 percent,” he said.
Dr. Musaddique said Bangladesh is at risk of high temperature due to various reasons, which is a cause of concern for animal resources and the agriculture sector. Cement sheets can play a big role in reducing this concern.
As the sheets have 6 layers, it can control the temperature inside the shed by up to 12 degrees Celsius during extreme heat, keeping the environment inside the shed relatively cool. It reduces death from heat stroke in chickens and cattle, he pointed out.
In the keynote paper Dr. Nathu Ram highlighting various research findings at the workshop, states that cement sheet is a versatile and sustainable building material system that is being used in various construction projects worldwide.
