KHULNA, Sep 11: The state-owned Khulna Hardboard Mills (KHM) will go into commercial production from September-14 fulfilling a long-standing demand of the people of the industrial city. It is expected that Industry Minister Maulana Matiur Rahman Nizami will formally inaugurate the event as chief guest. BCIC Chairman will also attend the inaugural function as special guest. KHM stopped production and laid-off its workers on 15 December 2002 but without any liabilities. After completion of primary BMRE (balancing, modernising, rehabilitation and expansion) at a cost of Tk 11 million KHM is now ready to go into production. Tk 37.1 million will be spent for step-by-step development. No technical fault was detected when KHM was run on experimental basis in the last one month. But production target is yet to be fixed. Established in 1966 with an annual production capacity of 2.78 million square metres of hardboard, KHM was shut down primarily because of a poor production capacity caused by inadequate supply of raw material from the Sundarbans forest. KHM products also faced tough completion in the market due to its poor quality and comparatively higher price. Before closing, KHM's manpower was only 190 persons but was shown 242 officially.
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