DHAKA, Jan 9, 2020 (BSS) – Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina today urged the country’s textile sector to diversify
products and expand the market for boosting the export
income.
“I think it’s very much necessary to diversify textile
products by keeping consistency with the demand of the
world market,” she said while inaugurating the ‘National
Textile Day 2019 and Multipurpose Textile Fair’ at
Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) here.
The premier simultaneously asked the related entrepreneurs
to add value to their existing products and “explore new
markets to raise the country’s export income”.
Sheikh Hasina said fashions, designs and colours of apparel
items in global market were constantly changing requiring
diversification of the products in line with buyers’ demands.
She said Bangladesh should have an own initiative to search new
markets and know the demand of fashion and design of
apparel items in the markets.
Sheikh Hasina also asked the public and private sectors to
work hand in hand to increase the demand of Bangladeshi
products in the world market.
The premier said though Bangladesh holds the second
position in textile export in the world, the reality is that the
country’s share in world market was only 6.40 percent.
“The garment manufacturers and other concerned will have
to work hard to increase the demand of our products in the
world market … they’ve to formulate short, medium and long
term plans for achieving this,” she said, assuring that her
government will extend all sorts of cooperation to this.
Noting that Bangladesh sells garment items at very low
prices, the prime minister urged the businessmen to take
initiative so that international buyers increase the prices of
RMG products at least to some extent.
Sheikh Hasina said: “As a competition prevails among the
apparel manufacturers in the world market, I cannot say
whether our exporters bargain or not with buyers. But I think
they should do it and tell the buyers and concerned countries.”
She went on saying: “If the buyers raise the price of every
garment item by at least one dollar, we could develop this
sector further.”
In this connection, the premier said she always raises the
issue of paying more prices of Bangladeshi garments when she
visits the countries, importing Bangladeshi RMG products.
Pointing out that the textile sector is playing a great role in
Bangladesh’s economy, the prime minister said her
government has formulated the Textile Policy, 2017 and the
Textile Act, 2018 to fulfill the internal demand of cloths and
enhance export.
“Our government has strengthened this sector by
providing necessary legal support and incentive and
presently, four sectors of textile are getting maximum four
percent incentive,” she said.
To accelerate RMG export, the government has declared
one percent incentive for rest of the textile sectors from this
year, she said, adding additional Taka 2,825 crore has been
sanctioned in the current budget.
The prime minister said the Textile Directorate has been
upgraded to the Textile Department and it has been vested
with the duty of Sponsoring Authority of textile sector by
undertaking multidimensional planning.
Sheikh Hasina said “one stop service” has been introduced in
the Textile Department to ensure faster and quicker services,
while all kinds of registrations have been executed by online.
As a result, she said, the entrepreneurs of textiles and
garments sectors are getting their required services easily and
quickly.
The prime minister said it is necessary to create efficient
manpower in textile sector and the Ministry of Textile and
Jute is working on it.
“Simultaneously, non-government and private educational
institutions are also contributing to skilled manpower in
textile sector,” she said.
The prime minister said: “My government has brought down
the poverty rate to 20.5 percent and our target is to cut down
the rate further … We want to establish Bangladesh as a
developed and prosperous country and I have firm belief that
we could achieve the goal.”
“For this, we’ve to work hard for the development in all
fields including industrialization, trade and commerce,” she
added.
Sheikh Hasina, the elder daughter of Bangabandhu, said
the countdown to the observance of Father of the Nation
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s birth centenary will
begin tomorrow.
“We’ll celebrate Mujib Barsho in 2020-2021 and the
golden jubilee of independence next year and we want to
build a hunger and poverty-free Sonar Bangladesh by this
time,” the premier said.
The Ministry of Textiles and Jute arranged the function
with Textiles and Jute Minister Golam Dastagir Gazi in the
chair.
The theme of the day is “globalization of the textiles
sector—sustainable development”.
Though the National Textiles Day was observed for the
first time in the country on December 4 last, its main
programme was arranged today.
Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi, State Minister for
Labour and Employment Monnujan Sufian, Chairman of the
Parliamentary Standing Committee on Textiles and Jute
ministry Mirza Azam and Secretary of the ministry Lokman
Hossain Mian also spoke on the occasion.
At the function, the prime minister handed over awards to
nine organizations and business enterprises for their
outstanding contributions to the development of the textile
sector.
Later, she opened the “Multipurpose Textile Fair” by
cutting a ribbon and visited its different stalls.
