After 16 years of closure, Rajshahi Silk Mills returned to test production with five looms on Friday.
Fazle Hossain Badsha, Member of Parliament from Rajshahi Sadar constituency and senior member of the Bangladesh Sericulture Board, formally inaugurated the production on Friday morning.
This silk factory was established in Shiroil Bus Terminal area of Rajshahi city on 15 bighas of land in 1961 during Aiyub Khan’s rule.
The BNP government closed the factory in 2002 leaving the debt burden of Tk 1.3 crore.
After being appointed as the Vice-President of the Board, Fazle Hossain Badshah took the initiative of starting the factory. Due to his efforts, the factory was started in a small scale.
Fazle Hossain Badshah said that the workers also contributed to the launch of the factory. Without their sincerity, it would not have been possible. We want to start silk factory fully. Silk yarn will be made at houses privately, and people will go to the factory to sell yarn and earn money.
BNP government did not find ways to make factories profitable. We have protected the factory from privatization. Now we want to run the factory with gas. This will reduce production costs by 30 percent. Then the silk factory will become a profitable institution.
The sericulture board said there were 63 looms in the silk factory at the time of the announcement of closure. Before the closing, the factory produced 1 lakh 6 thousands metres of silk cloth annually. If 63 looms are run in the factory, the clothes will be produced two lakh 87 thousand meters annually.
Social worker Shahin Akhtar Reni, professor Taslima Khatun and member of the Sericulture Board Dr. Sabrina Naz were also present on the occasion as special guests.
