Govt makes decisions based on merit and investor proposals

The government makes decisions based on merit and investor proposals, not relationships, adviser to the Ministry on Textiles and Jute Sheikh Bashir Uddin said on Sunday.

"Please use resources of the institutions, benefit yourselves and the country and thus contribute to the economy and employment generation," the adviser, who is also in-charge of the commerce ministry, told the investors, reports BSS.

He was addressing a function marking the signing of an agreement between the Bangladesh Textiles Mills Corporation (BTMC) and the Western Engineering Private Limited as the chief guest at a city hotel. The agreement aims to operate the Kurigram Textile Mills under the arrangement.

BTMC Chairman Brigadier General SM Zahid Hassan and Western Engineering (Pvt.) Ltd Managing Director Bashir Ahmed signed the agreement.

The adviser said the Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC) and BTMC have about 45-50 establishments, which the government wants to hand over to entrepreneurs through Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) or lease agreements, according to a ministry press release.

"Three mills have already been handed over to the entrepreneurs in the last six months while more are in the pipeline," he added.

Extending thanks to Western Engineering (Pvt) Ltd for the proposed investment, he said, "BTMC and BJMC mills have completed construction of infrastructure and after some renovations, those can resume production soon and thus there will be an opportunity to make profit,"

He said those work would be conducted with honesty, integrity and in a speedy manner through an open tender process. "The Ministry of Textiles and Jute is looking for investors and the businessmen to seize this opportunity."

Highlighting various facilities for investments, Secretary of Textiles and Jute Md. Abdur Rauf said people would be benefitted if suitable employment opportunities are ensured in Kurigram.

He said that the ministry is working to re-open the closed mills.

Western Engineering (Pvt.) Ltd. Managing Director Bashir Ahmed said that they want to increase employment generation in Kurigram and thus want to build pro-people and environment-friendly industries.

Chairman of BTMC Brigadier General SM Zahid Hassan delivered the welcome address.

Additional Secretaries of Textiles and Jute Ministry Subrata Sikder, Arifur Rahman Khan, ANM Moinul Islam, Director General of Department of Textiles Md. Shahidul Islam, former chairman of BTMC Brig Gen (Retd.) Md. Ziaul Haque, and BJMA Secretary Abdul Barik were present on the occasion.