The refractory industry in Bangladesh has not shown any significant development or growth in spite of the fact that its beginnings can be traced back as far as the 1950s. Historically, the reasons for this would seem to be a lack of growth in the consuming industries, and higher production costs because of the non-availability of indigenous raw materials. Around the mid-1980s, three to four refractory material production units came into existence, but even these were principally to serve captive requirements - effectively small additional capacities catering to limited market demand. Research in the country has not been initiated for the development of refractory materials in line with advancing technology. This paper looks at the impact this might have on the country's 43 glass manufacturers currently operating in Bangladesh.
