Crown Cement Plc, one of Bangladesh’s top cement producers, has approved the purchase of 1.34ha of land in West Mukterpur, Munshiganj, spending about BDT13.8bn (US$11.7m) including registration, to expand its factory premises. The decision was made by the board in its meeting on 18 September.
This acquisition adds to Crown Cement’s earlier 2023 land purchase of 245 decimals adjacent to its existing plant—a clear sign of its long-term strategy to secure space for future growth. The company has been gradually enlarging its footprint: in January 2024, it commissioned its sixth grinding unit at Munshiganj, lifting total capacity to 19,040tpd, or around 5.7Mt annually.
While demand for cement remains strong, the industry has been under pressure from rising input costs and macroeconomic challenges. Crown Cement’s recent earnings reflect this: in the July-March period of FY24-25, its earnings per share fell to BDT3.56 compared to BDT5.90 a year earlier.
Despite these headwinds, Crown Cement has tried to maintain profitability. It declared a 21 per cent cash dividend for FY23-24, and revenue rose from BDT27.73bn (US$236m) in FY23-24 to BDT31.98bn in FY24-25.
