Bangladesh to make own brand of cars

Bangladesh  will manufacture its own brand of cars through state-run Pragoti  Industries which currently assembles vehicles of Japanese brand  Mitsubishi, said Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun  yesterday.

"Not just car assembly, we will manufacture cars  in Bangladesh. A memorandum of understanding has already been signed  with Mitsubishi Motors Corporation to set up a factory in Bangladesh,"  he said.

He hoped that ministries, including that of the  expatriates' welfare and overseas employment, would help the Pragati,  set up under the industries ministry by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur  Rahman, by purchasing cars from it.

Humayun was speaking as  chief guest at a programme organised by the industries ministry at a  city hotel for handing over 73 double cabin pickups for the expatriates'  ministry's "Driving training project for employment at home and  abroad".

On November 30, the expatriates' ministry issued a  work order for purchasing the pickups for Tk 31.75 crore, meaning each  unit was costing Tk 43.50 lakh.

Teaching driving is a good way to create skilled manpower, said Expatriates' Minister Imran Ahmed.