Govt Steps Up Support for Handloom, Jamdani and Jute Industries

NARAYANGANJ, July 15: State Minister for Textiles and Jute Md Shariful Alam said the government has undertaken a series of initiatives to strengthen the country's handloom, Jamdani, Benarasi and jute industries, with a particular focus on preserving traditional heritage and expanding exports.

He made the remarks while inaugurating a Handloom Training and Basic Service Centre at Araihazar intersection in Narayanganj on Wednesday.

Among others, Narayanganj-2 (Araihazar) Member of Parliament (MP) Nazrul Islam Azad, Textiles and Jute Secretary Sharaf Uddin Ahmed Chowdhury, and Bangladesh Handloom Board Chairman Abu Ahmed Siddiqui also addressed the programme.

Speaking at the inauguration, the state minister said the government was working to preserve the country's geographical indication (GI) products and enhance their presence in international markets.

"The government has taken various initiatives to preserve our traditional GI products and expand their access to global markets. This training centre has been established to equip weavers with modern technology and skills," he said.

According to the minister, the centre will provide modern training to around 300 weavers each year. He added that the government would also extend the necessary support to help artisans market their products both at home and abroad.

Shariful Alam urged weavers and entrepreneurs to repay their outstanding loans, saying the government planned to increase credit disbursement in the next fiscal year.

"More loans will be provided next year than in the previous fiscal year," he said.

The state minister also said the government was taking steps to revitalise the jute sector, including producing high-quality jute seeds and reopening closed jute mills.

He added that the Ministry of Textiles and Jute was preparing assistance programmes for weavers affected by the recent floods in the hill districts.