A subsidiary of Hossain Group of Industries, Bangla Cars, has commenced car assembly at its factory in Panchabati, Narayanganj, marking Bangladesh's entry into car production for the first time.

Bangla Cars has already sold a significant portion of the vehicles assembled in 2021, including the DFSK Glory, despite not having formally launched its marketing activities.

Unlike other automobile companies being established in the country, Bangla Cars Limited plans to introduce vehicles featuring its own designs this year. The company is also manufacturing pick-up trucks, buses and full-sized container trucks.

Currently, Bangla Cars assembles vehicles using components sourced from various countries. The company relies on Japan's Isuzu for the supply of engine and chassis components from Indonesia. By 2021, it plans to manufacture 12 different types of vehicles, with the development work to be undertaken by its in-house design team.

The automaker has a showroom in Tejgaon, displaying its vehicles in different colours and variants. According to reports, the company plans to establish additional showrooms in each of the country's eight administrative divisions during the first phase, followed by another 30 showrooms across the country.

Bangla Cars aims to eventually achieve annual sales of 4,000 to 5,000 vehicles, including electric vehicles, which are currently under development.

As production remains at an early stage, the company aims to achieve sales of 1,500 new vehicles within three years. It also plans to establish a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility and provide round-the-clock after-sales service.

Bangla Cars' DFSK Glory is already available in the market. The SUV is priced at BDT 3 million (US$ 23,825), although its price could decrease significantly once the company begins manufacturing the entire vehicle locally, reducing its reliance on imported components.