| Karnaphuli Paper Mills Ltd. | |
| Type: | Government-owned corporation |
| Foundation: | [1] |
| Location City: | Chandraghona |
| Location Country: | Bangladesh |
| Industry: | Paper and forest products |
| Parent: | Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation |
Karnaphuli Paper Mills, located in Chandraghona, Chittagong Division, Bangladesh, is a state-owned pulp and paper manufacturer established in 1951 by Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation. In 1964, the factory was sold to Dawood Group. Following the Independence of Bangladesh, it was nationalised and came under the management of the Bangladesh Industrial Development Corporation.
Today, it operates as a subsidiary of the Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation and holds the distinction of being the largest paper production facility in the country. However, in 2016, the mill faced criticism for its lack of an effluent treatment facility.
The 1949 Industrial Conference recommended that a pulp and paper mill be set up in East Pakistan in an effort to make Pakistan self-sufficient in paper.[2] In mid-February 1950, the government's Development Board approved the construction of the mill on the Karnafuli River.[3] In 1954, there were violent riots between Non-Bengali and Bengali workers.[4]
Chandragona, 26 miles upstream from Chittagong, was selected as the site because of ample availability of bamboo and water there, and ready transportation through Chittagong Port. The mill was designed to produce 30,000 tons of high quality paper annually. By January 1952, a water supply plant, power plant, and company housing had been built, and construction of the mill proper was underway. Karnaphuli Paper Mills began operating in 1953, run by the Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation, a government-owned corporation.
In 1964 it was sold to Dawood Group. After the Independence of Bangladesh the company was taken over by Bangladesh Industrial Development Corporation.As of 2016, it is the largest paper producing factory in Bangladesh and operates as a subsidiary of Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation.[5] In 2016, it faced criticism for not having an effluent treatment facility.[6] [7]