Large-scale infrastructure, growing urbanisation and strong foreign direct investment are fuelling rising cement demand in Bangladesh. But will it be enough to utilise production capacity as new plants come on-stream and existing works are upgraded and modernised?
Bangladesh’s aspirations to become an upper-middle income country by its 50th birthday in 2021 appear to be on track. According to the IMF, GDP growth in Bangladesh has averaged more than six per cent annually over the last decade and is expected to come in at around seven per cent in FY18. Mustafa Kamal, the country’s planning minister, is even more optimistic, forecasting growth of 8.25 per cent in FY19, rising to nine per cent by 2025 and 10 per cent by 2030.
