ZCZC
BSS-26
SILK-FACTORY-VISIT (with picture)
Parliamentary Standing Committee visits Rajshahi Silk Factory
RAJSHAHI, Aug 10, 2018 (BSS) – Members of Parliamentary Standing Committee
on the Ministry of Textile and Jute here today visited the Rajshahi Silk
Factory to scrutinize its present situation.
The committee members led by its chairman Saber Hossain Chowdhury went
round different sections including the recently re-launched five of the 63
looms factory.
Earlier yesterday afternoon, they held a meeting of the parliamentary
standing committee at conference room of Bangladesh Silk Development Board
(BSDB) here.
Joining the visit Fazley Hossain Badsha, MP, apprised the committee
members of steps have been taken to restart the now-defunct factory on trial
basis.
A high hope was created among all concerned particularly labourers after
the re-launch of five looms factory.
Lawmaker Badsha, senior vice-president of BSDB Governing Board, said
closure of the mill was very much unfortunate for people of the area. People
of the city have been struggling for a long demanding reopening of the mill.
Besides, he said many people of the region will be employed here after
reopening of the mill on full-scale.
Simultaneously, a model factory will be set up at adjacent to Bangladesh
Sericulture Research and Training Institute here as an exhibit so that people
visiting here from outside could get a real picture of Rajshahi silk.
The factory was commissioned on 15.5 bighas of land in city’s Seroil area
in 1961. In 1996, the then Awami League government modernised the factory
through adding modern machines at a cost of around Taka 10 crore and
restarted it in full swing at 63 looms.
But, the then BNP-led four-party alliance government declared the factory
lay off in the name of continuous loss on November 30, 2002.
Later on, the committee members held a view-sharing meeting with officials
and researchers of Bangladesh Sericulture Research and Training Institute
(BSRTI) at its conference hall discussing and devising ways and means on how
to intensify its activities.
Committee Members Dr Enamur Rahman and Begum Sabina Akter Tuhin, Secretary
to the Ministry of Textile and Jute Foyzur Rahman Chowdhury, Additional
Secretary Gulnar Nazmun Nahar, Director General of Directorate of Jute Md
Ismail, Chairman of Handloom Board Mijanur Rahman, Director General of BSDB
Abdul Hakim and BSRTI Director Syeda Jebinnissa Sultana joined the meeting.
BSS/AH/RY/1823 hrs