Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, BCSIR, has discovered Zirconium used to make airplane wings, Silica for making glass and, radioactive sand used for power production, on the beaches of Nijhum Dwip in Hatia, Noakhali.
Aside from this, they have also found 15 types of metal oxides used as raw materials in different industries.
BCSIR’s director of the Institute of Mining, Mineralogy and Metallurgy, Dr. Nazim Zaman, told Bangla Tribune: “after a research on Nijhum Dwip, we found plenty of minerals; the project started only two months ago, but once its full swing in two years, we will be able to process twenty tonnes of sand every hour.”
We will then be able to positively identify the available minerals and their deposits, he added.
The 91 square km Nijhum Island has a 12 square km sea beach with emerging land areas or chars.
Scientists feel that if mineral sand is extracted properly then many raw materials can be supplied to the local industries with creation of local employment.
Zirconium has been found in Nijhum which is used by the aviation industry and costs $ 1800- $ 2200 per tonne.
Scientists say that more research will be carried out followed by a pilot project to extract minerals.
“We hope that companies with sophisticated technology will also come to help us,” added Dr. Zaman.
“Once the project is implemented, Tk. 300 to Tk. 400 crore can be earned from every square km.”