Bangladesh’s steelmakers have presented a five-point demand to the interim government to alleviate challenges plaguing the industry. At a press briefing on November 18, the Bangladesh Steel Manufacturers Association (BSMA) urged for expedited infrastructure projects to mitigate the economic crisis affecting businesses. They proposed raising the single borrower exposure limit from 15% to 30% to ease capital shortages and called for uninterrupted gas and power supply for factories. Steelmakers also demanded the withdrawal of a recent increase in the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) certification mark licence fee, which jumped to Tk 35 lakh annually, and an end to duty-free steel imports.
Rising fuel prices, high-interest loans, and dollar appreciation have escalated production costs, causing steelmakers to sell products below cost to meet overheads. Industry leaders reported a 40% drop in steel sales over the last four months, warning of severe ripple effects across related sectors like housing and construction
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