LafargeHolcim brings new plastering cement

LafargeHolcim Bangladesh will launch new specialised cement for plastering at Radisson Blu Dhaka Water Garden today.

“It would be only for plastering and different from others available in the market,” Rajesh K Surana, chief executive officer of LafargeHolcim, told a press briefing at Pan Pacific Sonargaon in the capital yesterday.

According to Surana, the company invested $500 million in Bangladesh over the years and plans for even more.

“Our plant at Chhatak, Sunamganj is the only dry process integrated cement plant of the country. By producing its own clinker, the company saves about $50 million in foreign exchange per year for Bangladesh,” he said.

The company has established a unique cross border project, bringing limestone from its own quarry in India via a 17-kilometre cross border conveyor belt and producing clinker at the Chhatak plant.

He said plastercrete has been carefully tested to ensure quality and meet customers' particular needs.

It covers a larger surface area using less cement, resulting in significant cost savings for customers, he said.

He also said it would have a shorter application time, meaning efficient and quicker construction, saving costs and energy.

Plastercrete shall give better workability, which will be immensely beneficial for masons, who shall achieve better finish with lesser efforts. It will also have lesser cracks, ensuring consistent quality and smoother walls, he said. The demand for cement in the Bangladesh market is around 28 million tonnes a year.

Asif Bhuiyan, marketing and commercial transformation director, and Syed Naimul Abedin, head of market strategy, brands and communications, were present.