With huge response from visitors, the four-day long ‘International Plastic Fair- 2014’ is going to end tomorrow (Sunday) at Bangabandhu International Conference Center in the city.

The fair has been experiencing notable response from the visitors after it was inaugurated by Finance Minister AMA Muhith on Thursday. Specially, electronics and automobile industry investors of home and abroad were fascinated by the plastics parts made by Walton. The country’s leading electric, electronics and automobile manufacturing company is going to make a new epoch in plastic industry.   
 
According to sources, the demand of plastic goods and parts has been increasing in the country day by day. At present, huge plastic goods worth Tk. 18 thousand crore are being manufactured and sold in the local market.

Bangladesh exported plastic goods worth 8,45,10,000 US dollars in 2012-13 fiscal year which earned the investors of the industry foreign currency of more than Tk. 3,50,00,000 every year.

A good number of people from home and abroad visited the Plastic Fair over the last few days. Many customers rendered instant purchase orders.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith, while inaugurating the fair on Thursday, wished a bright future of plastic industry. “The growth of the industry is enormous and the increasing rate will continue in future too,” he said. The minister assured all kinds of support from the government for expanding the industry.

Walton manufactures plastic products of 15 categories including  household items, packaging materials, moulds, toys, pharmaceutical industry items, furniture, melamine goods, UPVC door, refrigerator, AC, television, garments accessories items and polypropylene (PP) woven bags.

Walton has a giant mould and die making unit equipped with latest technology, 14 VMC Machines, 7 CNC Wire Cutting Machines, 8 Polyurethane Foaming Plants and 15 Thermoforming or Vacuum Foaming units.

Lokman Hossain Akash, International Marketing Department Chief of Walton, said: “Walton manufactures the plastic goods and parts which are used in high technology based industries. These plastic goods and parts were used to import from other countries. But Walton now manufactures these products here. We are planning to export the products. Besides, Walton conducts logical researches on plastic industry to cope with the forthcoming challenges.”

Meanwhile, FBCCI, the country`s apex trade body, President Kazi Akramuddin Ahmed said: “World standard plastic products are being manufactured in the country as the local entrepreneurs have set up manufacturing units with state-of-the-art technologies and machineries”.

Terming plastic sector as ‘rising tiger’ among other industries of country, Akramuddin Ahmed also said: “Plastic sector is now enjoying a robust growth side-by-side bringing a revolution in the country’s agriculture sector”.

According to sources, plastic goods from Bangladesh are now being exported to different foreign countries including the USA, Canada and some European Union, Middle East and African countries.

President of Bangladesh Plastic Goods Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BPGMEA) Md. Jasim Uddin said: “There is a need to set up a plastic manufacturing zone in the country as the sector has marked a rapid growth”. He also hoped the present government would take initiatives to set a special zone considering the growth of plastic sector.