Faridpur is well-known in the country for its quality jute production. Apart from exporting raw jute, the biggest grower of the fibre in Bangladesh also exports various jute products. Currently, Bangladesh ranks second in the world in jute exports.
Along with jute or jute products—namely bags, sacks, yarn or even clothes and shoes—carbon made from jute ashes also shows considerable promise as a feasible earning source of foreign exchange.
This particular type of ashes is produced by burning dried jute sticks at a certain temperature in special furnaces. Later, they are crushed to powder. The powder is locally called “jute stick carbon”, as it contains carbon.
This carbon is exported to several countries, including China, Mexico, the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Germany and Taiwan. It is used to make carbon paper, photocopier ink, fireworks, mobile phone batteries and cosmetics, to name a few.
According to the Bangladesh Charcoal Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BCCMEA), an association of carbon factory owners, in FY2019-20 Bangladesh exported 4,182.27 tons of jute stick charcoal powder, which translated into over $2.9 million or Tk24.81 crore in foreign exchange.
According to a source at the Export Promotion Bureau, Bangladesh has been exporting jute stick carbon since 2012. The sector has the potential to generate $325 million a year in export earnings, fetching the government Tk40 crore in tax revenues annually, all the while creating employment opportunities for 20,000 people directly.
There are two carbon factories at Joynagar in Satair union of Boalmari upazila. One is Golden Carbon Factory and the other is KH Carbon Factory. There is another carbon factory at Ruizani village on the banks of the Madhumati at the end of Maina union. In addition, several carbon factories have been set up in Madhukhali, Alfadanga and Salta upazilas.
Golden Carbon Factory in Jayanagar is the first factory in the region. The Chinese originally built it about 8/10 years ago. Later the ownership changed, with Hiru Munshi, a local resident, taking over.
Hiru Munshi said Faridpur district was famous for jute cultivation. “Lots of jute are produced here. Carbon factories have sprung up in the region due to the availability of raw materials like jute and labour.”
Boalmari Upazila Nirbahi Officer Jhotan Chanda said the administration would encourage and co-operate with any type of industry or industrial support organization within the upazila. “However, those institutions must abide by government rules and regulations and should not do anything to harm the environment or people.”
