Due to the lack of necessary industrialization in the greater Laksam upazila of the southern region of Cumilla, thousands of young people are currently living an unemployed life.
Even after 54 long years of independence, the proposed economic zone in this region has not been implemented. As a result, the number of unemployed youths in this region is increasing day by day. Though the government-established housing estate in Laksam town has now turned into a commercial city, the demand for establishing a BSCIC industrial estate in Laksam remains neglected. However, the past government undertook various multifaceted development activities aiming to implement projects worth about 500 crore taka for the development of this municipality and even to build it as a smart city, but due to irregularities and corruption, it is now stuck in red tape.
Specially, the locals are demanding investigations into all development activities. Since joining, Laksam municipal administrator and Upazila Nirbahi Officer Kawsar Hamid has initiated extensive renovation and development works in the municipality and upazila to increase civic facilities. Let us see how much success he can bring — only time will tell.
It is learnt that currently, business and commerce in the upazilas of the southern part of the district are stagnating for various reasons. Due to the lack of creation of new employment locally, alongside unemployment, poverty is also increasing day by day. Locals claim that if the government establishes a BSCIC industrial estate in Laksam and local entrepreneurs become sincere, it will contribute to national development alongside generating crores of taka in revenue. With rail, waterway and road communication, favorable natural environment, abundant local raw materials, cultivable agricultural land and various other advantages, there is bright potential to establish industries in this region, yet there is no initiative to set up industrial factories. In 54 years of independence, although different political governments in power have improved the communication system of the area, and some different types of factories have been set up, no significant industry has developed.
If the well-known industrial entrepreneurs of South Cumilla — Bhaiya Group, Shahjalal Group, Rupsha Group, Lotus Kamal Group, Azad Group, Meghna Group, Fabian Group, Alana Group, Famous Group, NASA Group, SOS Group, Chaiti Group, and the families of the late Chan Mia and Suruj Mia — become a little sincere, they can contribute immensely to the development of the area by setting up industrial establishments.
Sources further state that being an agriculturally dominant area, due to the demand for agro and fishery-based investments and geographical position, it is possible to set up extensive industries in a short time at low cost in Nangalkot, Lalmay and Monohorgonj upazilas of the greater Laksam upazila.
Laksam, known as the birthplace of Nawab Faizunnesa — the only female nawab of the Indian subcontinent — has carried a special heritage in political, economic, cultural and educational fields for centuries. Since the country’s independence, many heads of government, hundreds of ministers, bureaucrats, and MPs, during their visits to this region, assured to turn Laksam into an industrial city, but that has fallen prey to red tape.
This region was home to many distinguished persons such as former constituent assembly member Abdul Awal, former MP Jalal Ahmad, Principal Abul Kalam Mojumder, Barrister Habibul Haque, Professor Nurur Rahman, Omar Ahmad Mojumder, language hero Comrade Zinnat Rahman and many other eminent personalities.
In the past, there have been prominent figures like four-time elected Member of Parliament of Cumilla-9 constituency, Local Government Minister and industrialist Md. Tajul Islam, Nazrul Islam Mojumder Helal, former MP Colonel (Retd.) M. Anwarul Azim, (missing) former MP Alhaj Saiful Islam Hiru, former MP late ATM Alamgir, former MP Monirul Haque Chowdhury, former MP late Dr. Rafiqul Hossain, former MP Abdul Gafur Bhuiyan, former MP late Joynal Abedin Bhuiyan and former MP Dr. Kamruzzaman. Besides, hundreds of people of this region hold high responsibilities in engineering universities, various ministries, renowned contracting firms, etc.
Yet in 54 years of independence, they have not worked for the development of greater Laksam.
