Govt initiatives to help boost local automobile industry

Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith expected that the country’s manufacturing sector will enter into an automated operation system within the next five to seven years.

The country’s business organisations which are operating their activities through automatic system have entered into the era of development.

Muhith came up with the remark while visiting the factory of Runner Automobiles Limited (RAL), the flagship company of Runner Group at Bhaluka in Mymensing on Wednesday.

Dr M Amanullah MP, local lawmaker, Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury MP, Md Bashir Uddin, member of the National Board of Revenue, Hafizur Rahman Khan, Chairman, Md Mojammel Hossain, Vice-Chairman, Brig Gen (Retd) Shafikuzzaman, Managing Director of Runner Group were present during the visit.

Muhith said a factory needs technologically skilled manpower to operate its machines automatically. “We are going ahead in generating a technologically skilled work force which will help enjoy the facility of advancement”.

The government is promoting the private sector and hence it adopted a business-friendly policy.

He said that RAL is also playing vital role in generating employment. Expressing the hope that Runner Group would contribute more to the national economy, the finance minister however, emphasised on the necessity of exporting more products manufactured by RAL.

Runner is presently exporting motorcycles, said Muhith adding, another local manufacturer is also doing the same task making Bangladeshi products a brand abroad.

Along with the flourish of Runner Automobile industry, some backward linkage industries like spare parts manufacturing industries including motorcycle seat, different cables like: break cable, clutch cable etc, wiring harness, tyre, tube, battery, plastic components (side cover, indicator light, head light, fender) and many other parts and accessories are also booming across the country, chairman of the organization Hafizur Rahman informed.

Worthy to mention, Runner Group is one of the leading motorbike manufacturers in the country. With yearly turnover of approximately Tk 750 crore, the company has employed 1800 people across the country.

The Group has three business wings, Runner Automobiles Limited, Runner Bricks and Runner Properties Limited.

RAL’s production capacity has reached 500 motorcycles per day. Its products cover 4 series of motorcycles ranging from 50cc to 150cc, and about 12 models of motorcycles.

It is now aiming to produce 1000 motorcycles per day by the year 2015. To become the leading motorcycle manufacturer in the country with renewed focus on expanding company’s footprint in the global arena, the company also started exporting motorcycles in different countries like India and United Arab Emirates, he informed.