Thrust on public-private joint efforts to revitalise silk sector

RAJSHAHI, June 30 (BSS): Collective efforts of both public and private sectors can be the crucial means of revitalising the silk sector for the sake of regaining its lost glory.

All the government and other entities concerned should play an effective and vital role in transforming the potential sector into a hub of regular income-generation of the grassroots people leading to eradicating rural poverty.

This observation was expressed at an exchange of views meeting by a number of silk related experts, researchers, businessmen and growers who unequivocally called for boosting the sector after the best uses of existing natural resources.

Bangladesh Sericulture Development Board (BSDB) organized the meeting titled "Sericulture Development in Bangladesh in Present Context" at its conference hall in Rajshahi city on Saturday.

The meeting integrated the opinion and suggestions collected from around 200 attending stakeholders to prepare a roadmap of sericulture development.

Fazley Hossain Badsha, MP, who addressed the meeting as chief guest, urged all concerned to devise ways and means on how to develop the sector as it's closely related to the heritage, culture and history of Rajshahi.

He put emphasis on reopening of the now-defunct BSDB's two silk factories as early as possible.

Chaired by Abdul Hakim, Director General of BSDB, the meeting was addressed, among others, by additional commissioner of Rajshahi division Aminul Islam, Additional Deputy Inspector General of Police Mashudur Rahman Bhuiyan and social worker Shaheen Akhter Rainy.

Taking part in the open discussion, Liakat Ali, president of Bangladesh Silk Industries Owners Association, said boosting production of local yarn can help revitalising the silk sector.

He viewed that the local consumption could be met through domestic outputs after the best uses of the existing natural resources and there is no doubt in this regard.

During his concept paper presentation, Abdul Hakim apprised the meeting that 300 mulberry blocks were established in expansion areas for boosting capacity of the sericulture farmers.

In last five fiscal years, BSDB has implemented two major projects distributing 2.109 million mulberry-plants, 2.245 million disinfected silk cocoon and 633,000 eggs among the farmers.

In the light of prime minister's direction, sericulture has been incorporated in the 'Ekti Bari, Ekti Khamar (EBEK)' project for strengthening the agro-based economy through reviving the lost glory of sericulture.

Under the joint venture, around 0.26 million mulberry plants were distributed among 1,680 members of the project.

Some 777 of them were given need-based training on how to plant and nurse the plants properly.

Twenty-three sericulture villages were established in the potential areas as a model to improve capacity of small and marginal farmers to establish high yielding mulberry garden and produce superior quality of silk cocoon.