Cabinet okays policy to develop local automobile industry

The Cabinet on Monday approved the draft of a policy to develop automobile industry in the country considering the growing demand.

The Automobile Industry Development Policy 2021 was okayed at the weekly Cabinet meeting held at the Cabinet Room of the Jatiya Sangsad with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

"We need to develop the automobile industry in our own interest amid growing demand…. We're thinking of the development of the automobile industry to some extent, not remaining dependent only on import," said Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam during a post-meeting media briefing at the Secretariat.

He said there is a potential for the development of the automobile industry in the country.

The main objective of the policy is to develop the local industry by ensuring competence in automobile engineering and necessary facilities for production of automobiles and parts, he said.

Khandker Anwarul said another objective of the policy is to enhance scopes for cooperation and joint-investment between local automobile industries and with international automobile brands so that the products of famous brands and models can be produced here at lesser costs.

He said quoted Japanese ambassador in Dhaka as saying that a famous Japanese company has shown interest making their brands in Bangladesh.

Besides, the Cabinet gave the final approval to the draft of the Delimitation of Constituencies Bill, 2021 seeking to formulate an act to replace a military regime-era ordinance in line with the court's judgment.

"The proposed law has been designed aiming to make an act instead of the existing Delimitation of Constituencies Ordinance 1976," said the Cabinet Secretary.

No major change was brought to the draft law, he said.

The Cabinet also cleared a proposal for accepting the membership of OIC's Women Development Organisation (WDO) as well as ratification and signing of the WDO Statute to this end.