(Forestry Master Plan, 1992). The director planning and Development and Development, in addition to participation in the Board meeting, carry out specified role as functional Director and as Director in charge for a group of industrial units. Similarly the Director production and Commercial and Director Finance have three-fold roles such as, participatory in the Board meeting, carry out the functional role of the Director and act as Director incharge for a group of Industrial units. The Corporation has 24 operational units including 11 Rubber plantation units. The total manpower as power as on January,1992 is given below: Officer/Unit Head office Rubber plan units Operational units Total
Officers 74 59
Staff 234 301
Regular Worker 11 1355
Casual Worker 8 71
Total 327 1,786
77
448
1418
17
1,960
210
983
2,784
96
4,073
(Source: BFIDC) .The industrial units were set up between 1960 to1970. Except for some timber extraction equipments, rubber plantation and one veneered particle Board factory no substantial investments were made during the last three decades. The production level is low due to the following reasons: •
Shortage of forest raw materials
•
Old and worn-out equipments
•
Lack of investment for modernization and balancing
•
Labor force is disproportionate to present low production level
•
Lack of standardization and efficient marketing skill.
•
Heavy loss of mature rubber trees due to cyclone of 1991 in Chittagong region.
3.4.3 Bangladesh Forest Research Institute A Forest product laboratory was initiated in the mid 1950s in Chittagong at the present site with the object of utilizing the local forest produce. The Forest Management Branch was not