Adviser assigned to Ministry of Shipping and Ministry of Textiles and Jute, Brigadier General (retd) Dr. M Sakhawat Hossain called on the World Bank to invest in jute and textiles and shipbuilding industry.
Mentioning that jute and jute products are very environmentally friendly, the advisor said that jute is an integral part of the history and tradition of Bangladesh. Sonali Ashan jute was once the main foreign exchange earning sector of Bangladesh. Due to the increase in the use of plastic and polythene worldwide, there has been some interruption in this trend, but recently due to climate change, the use of jute and jute products is increasing to prevent global environmental damage.
As a result of the invention of eco-friendly gold bags and jute geotextile multi-purpose jute products as an alternative to polythene and plastic, there has been a huge demand for jute in the country and abroad. At present, 70 percent of the jute produced in Bangladesh is being exported abroad. Mentioning that it is a very important and promising sector, he urged the World Bank to invest in the jute and jute products industry of Bangladesh. He made this call during a meeting with the delegation of the World Bank in the meeting room of the Ministry of Textiles and Jute on Wednesday morning.
The adviser said, our 25 government jute mills and 25 textile mills production activities were closed a few years ago. At present, the mills are being run under private management with the help of domestic and foreign investors. Our factories are strategically located in very convenient locations for communication. That is why international investors can invest here very easily. Also the textile and clothing industry of Bangladesh is gradually improving. Referring to the world famous muslin cloth, he said, the muslin cloth of Bangladesh was once world famous. The government has already completed a project to bring back the lost tradition of muslin. Through this project, the technology of making yarn for making muslin cloth has been invented. There are plans to start commercial production operations soon.
At this time, the adviser emphasized on more investment and research in the production of versatile jute products and textile products to advance the country’s economy. In the meeting, the shipping adviser said that shipbuilding is a promising and developing industry in Bangladesh. Shipbuilding has become a major promising industry in recent years, mainly by exporting locally built ships.
Abdoulaye Sek, country director of the World Bank assigned to Bangladesh and Bhutan, welcomed the interim government and said that the World Bank is Bangladesh’s largest development partner. The World Bank has been working for the people of Bangladesh for a long time. The World Bank is committed to advance the economy of Bangladesh. Abdoulaye Sheikh expressed his sincere thanks and congratulations to the advisor for assuming the responsibility of two important ministries. He said that the World Bank is interested in working together with Bangladesh in new projects in all sectors including jute, textiles, shipping.
In the meeting, the progress of various development projects conducted with the cooperation of the World Bank was reviewed and the advisor gave instructions to the concerned to complete the ongoing projects on time.
A delegation of six members of the World Bank participated in the meeting led by Abdoulaye Sek, Country Director of the World Bank assigned to Bangladesh and Bhutan. At this time, Secretary of Ministry of Textiles and Jute Md. Abdur Rauf, Acting Secretary of Ministry of Shipping Sanjay Kumar Banik and senior officials of the ministry and department were present.
Views: 3
