Dhaka: Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu on Monday said one in every three solvent families in the cities now use private cars and demand for cars will go up in the days to come.

“The demand for private cars has increased in the country in the light of the increase in financial solvency of people. And the car demand will also increase in rural areas due to development of rural infrastructure,” he told a function at a city hotel.

Tata Motors, an Indian car producing company, arranged the function to launch its GenX Nano Automaik cars. The introductory price of the car is Tk 8.95 lakh.

Amu said as Nano private cars are introduced in Bangladesh, people can now buy private cars at rational price.

But, he also said, it will be not enough to meet domestic demand of cars by importing vehicles. “Bangladesh, with population of about 16 crore, is a big car market. We have to produce quality local private cars, which will be cost effective,” the Industries Minister added.

He called upon local and international entrepreneurs to come forward to jointly set up automobile factories in the country to produce private cars.

Indian Deputy High Commissioner in Dhaka Dr Adarsh Swaika, president of Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry Selima Ahmad, head (international business - passenger vehicles) of Tata Motors Johnny Oommen and Nitol-Niloy Group chairman Abul Matlub Ahmad, among others, spoke at the function.