New agency for factory registration in the offing  

The government is going to form an authority comprising the fire service, environment department and labour ministry that will issue factory registration and renew those, according to a top public meeting.  

With representatives from all the parties concerned, the new agency will be acting like a one stop service provider, said sources who were present at the meeting held Thursday and presided over by Prime Minister's Private Industry and Investment Adviser Salman F Rahman.  

Factory owners now have to take the permissions separately from the public offices.

The sources said a sub-committee has been formed led by the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (Bida) executive chairman to set the jurisdictions of the new authority.  

The sub-committee will submit its report within the next three months. Besides, the meeting decided to start factory inspection within the next four to six weeks.

The meeting was attended by the industries minister, state minister for labour, senior officials of the concerned ministries and departments. The president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and a representative of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce & Industries (FBCCI) was also present.