FROM CHANDRA, GAZIPUR: Electronics giant Walton has launched the first ever smartphone manufacturing factory in Bangladesh with a slogan of ‘Made in Bangladesh’.
State Minister for Post and Telecommunication Division Tarana Halim inaugurated the factory at Chandra in Kaliakoir upazila of Gazipur on Thursday (Oct 5).
At the inauguration ceremony, Tarana Halim said, “The Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina always wishes that we will reduce our dependency on imported foreign products and become self-dependent. Today is the day for fulfilling such wish. We have told Walton to provide smartphones to consumers in easy installment and the quality of their manufactured products are satisfactory.”
With the launch of this brand new factory, hundreds of people have been employed with a hope and joy of better living. While standing in the modern production floor of the factory with a joyful face, one worker Rokhsana told Banglanews, “After long drag, our country is finally going to produce labeled handsets. I am proud to say that Bangladesh is now a country that manufactures smartphones. We are ready to compete with smartphones of Samsung or Symphony.”
Udoy Hakim, senior operative director of Walton, told Bnaglanews that this is a high-tech industry with the capability to produce high quality and affordable handsets. The people of Bangladesh and government will benefit from it. Moreover, a huge amount of foreign currency will be saved. Skilled manpower in this sector will be created in the country as well as creating jobs and also backward industries will rise.
He also hoped that the handsets produced by Walton will soon exceed the other competitive smartphones in the market and earn the trust of the customers.
Walton said the factory is consisted of several parts including handset design development, Research and development division, Standard control division and testing lab. World's latest Japan and German technology machineries have been set up in there.
A total of 25-30 lakh units of handsets will be manufactured primarily in six production lines. Moreover, establishment of 10 other production lines are underway.
Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) spectrum division director general Brigadier General Nasim Parvez told Banglanews, “We welcome the factory. The quality of the product is first priority to us. We want our own brand to compete and survive with foreign brands. Government is providing all sorts of help to make that happen. Although there are some conditions such as the factory must have to be environment friendly with electronic waste management system.
BDST: 1520 HRS, OCT 5, 2017
AP
