Govt to set up specialised research centre to assess semiconductor industry potential

The government is planning to establish a specialised research facility to assess the feasibility of producing semiconductor-grade raw materials from the country’s river sand, potentially opening a new avenue for the development of the domestic high-tech industry.

The proposed Sand Processing and Research Centre (SPRC) is envisioned as a key hub for developing a semiconductor materials ecosystem in Bangladesh, according to a recent review study by Dr Md Sohel Rana, deputy director of the Bangladesh Geological Survey.

According to the study, the SPRC would go beyond functioning as a conventional laboratory. It would feature pilot-scale mineral beneficiation, chemical purification and advanced materials-characterisation facilities.

The centre would initially assess the technical and commercial feasibility of producing high-purity silica and metallurgical-grade silicon from sand collected from the Brahmaputra-Jamuna, Padma and Teesta rivers.

The study noted that Bangladesh’s river sand may contain silica with purity levels of up to 99.5%. However, semiconductor manufacturing requires much higher levels of purity, including control of ultra-trace impurities. The proposed centre would focus on research and technologies needed to achieve such standards.

Sohel Rana said the centre could create new research and employment opportunities for Bangladeshi scientists and engineers while strengthening links between universities and industry.

He said skilled human resources and innovation would be critical to developing the semiconductor sector. Through the SPRC, young engineers could gain hands-on experience in high-purity mineral analysis, VLSI design and mineral-processing technologies.

Such initiatives could help develop high-tech engineering expertise domestically, reduce brain drain and contribute to Bangladesh’s technological self-reliance, the study said.

The proposed centre would also seek joint research opportunities with global semiconductor companies and facilitate the transfer of advanced refining technologies to Bangladesh. Under the proposed roadmap, its technological capabilities would be developed in phases between 2026 and 2050, with the long-term goal of integrating locally sourced raw materials into the global semiconductor supply chain.

“Bangladesh is currently going through a period of transition. We have vast quantities of quartz-rich sand originating from the Himalayas, which is a strategic resource,” Sohel said. “However, there is no alternative to specialised research centres like the SPRC if we want to make this resource suitable for chip manufacturing.”

Read More

Bangladesh could become semiconductor hub by 2050

He said directly entering chip fabrication would be highly capital-intensive and risky. Therefore, the study recommends establishing the SPRC as an initial step to ensure raw-material purity and develop downstream silica-based industries such as optical fibre and speciality glass manufacturing.

According to the proposed national roadmap, the first five years would focus on mineral mapping and operating a pilot facility.

However, the study identified high investment requirements and limited access to advanced technologies as major challenges to implementing the project.