Madhyapara hard-rock mine in Parbatipur, Dinajpur, produced more than 150,000 tonnes of stone in October, setting a new monthly production record for Bangladesh’s only underground mine.
Germania-Trest Consortium (GTC), the contractor operating the mine, confirmed the production figures.
According to mine sources, output has increased since the mining contract was renewed for a second term. Excluding holidays, the mine extracted an average of around 6,000 tonnes of stone a day last month, reflecting a significant improvement in its production capacity under the current arrangement.
A team of foreign mining specialists is currently involved in the mine’s development and production operations.
The Madhyapara hard-rock deposit was discovered in 1973-74. The then government inaugurated the underground mining project on 20 October 1994, but commercial stone extraction began only on 25 May 2007.
During the initial years of commercial operation, the mine produced between 400 and 500 tonnes a day. Production has since risen under the current operating contractor, with October’s output marking a new milestone in the mine’s operational history.
Higher domestic production is also helping to reduce the country’s dependence on imported stone to some extent, mine authorities said. The mine currently has around 1.53 million tonnes of extracted stone of various sizes stockpiled in its yards, providing a substantial supply for the domestic market.
Madhyapara Granite Mining Company Ltd Managing Director Engineer DM Zobaid Hossain said stone prices had been revised to keep them in line with international market rates and the prices of imported stone.
The adjustment has been followed by an increase in demand for and sales of locally produced stone, he said.
Industry stakeholders said sustaining production growth and sales would require continued government policy support and adequate infrastructure facilities.
