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Natural Resource

It is estimated that there are 17 to 40 thousand ton of mineral substances in the sea beach from Nazirtek of Cox’s Bazar Sadar to Teknaf and it is worth taka 12 thousand crore. According to Mr. Dr. Anowar Hossain, the ex-chairman Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC), estimated stock of mineral substances in the beach is 4.4 million ton. The actual stock of mineral substances is about 17.50 million tones. He said that for exporting high demanded ozone in the world market, all these precious mineral substances such a zircon, mineral sand (ilmenite), magnetite, garnet and rutile can be hoisted on commercial basis. The Australian government has already expressed their interest to invest in this sector. The new Australia’s high commissioner to Bangladesh expressed his government’s interest to Mr. Dr. Hasan Mahmud, the state minister for environment and forest. After the Australian government interest, to see the issue a nine members committee headed by joint secretary is formed by the ministry of power, energy and mineral resource. Joint secretary Mr. Ashraf Ali is the conveyor of this committee. Mr. Ashraf Ali told BSS that, an Australian company named Premier Minerals has offered initial investment of Taka 400 billion for the extraction of these precious zircon mineral resources. He added that according to the initial survey the cost of zircon will be taka 60 thousand and other will be 6 thousand per ton.      

In 1960, this mineral resource was first discovered in Cox’s Bazar and later Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC) started various studies on this. In the early 1970s. the government of Australia conducted a survey and advised the government of Bangladesh to setup a pilot plant. A pilot pant was set up in Cox’s Bazar with the assistance from the Australian government in 1975 for the separation of minerals from the coastal belt. Following this some progress appears in the mineral resource hoisting work.

Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC) scientists recommend to the government to set up another plant on commercial basis. But there is no progress so far.

Mr. Md. Moshruzzaman, scientific officer of Cox’s Bazar sea beach extraction center said that, the mineral resources are being extracted on an experimental basis and based on demand mineral resource are being sold in small scale to the different organizations of Bangladesh.