Priority on industrialisation to generate employment

PM tells visiting director general of UNIDO

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said her government attached priority to rapid industrialisation and welcoming foreign investment to create employment opportunities when the visiting Director General of UN Industrial Development Organization’s (UNIDO) Li Yong called on her at the PMO, reports BSS.

“Our principal objective is to ensure basic needs of the people and create employment opportu-nities…Industrialisation is very essential to attain it,” PM’s press secretary Ihsanul Karim told a media briefing.

He said the premier’s comments came as the UNIDO chief expressed interest to provide the UN body’s support for Bangladesh’s “inclusive and sustainable industrial development”. UNIDO is a specialised United Nations agency to promote industrial development for poverty reduction, inclusive globalisation and environmental sustainability.

Sheikh Hasina highlighted Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s initiatives for promotion of the small and medium scale industries saying “Bangabandhu wanted to develop the industrial sector under private and public sector as well as cooperative system”.

“Our government is also following the Bangabandhu’s policy,” she said. The premier informed the UNIDO chief that her government opened up private sector for investment and simultaneously offered many facilities to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) while undertook a plan to construct 100 special economic zones where land are being allocated in favour of the investing companies.

She said the government also took specific plans to build up food processing and agro-based industries in an area particularly based on locally produced raw materials while considering the growing demand of jute goods at home and abroad in particular, “our government is promoting jute production and industries”.

The prime minister said Bangladesh, with its large population, was a very potential country in terms of consumption of the products as its domestic markets are growing gradually but her government simultaneously was pressing on better regional connectivity like BBIN and BCIM aimed at extending market in neighbouring countries as well.

Sheikh Hasina said in view of growing industrial demand for efficient manpower several technical and engineering institutions were established under government initiatives while most parts of Bangladesh was now connected with internet “which is facilitating industrial promotion”.

Appreciating Bangladesh’s socio economic development Li Yong said with a huge population it was really a big challenge for a country “but Bangladesh is blessed with highest ratio of youngest population in this region which is a great potential for the country”. “Bangladesh must take the dividend of the demographic benefit”, he said.

The UNIDO chief suggested these youth force should be properly trained while Bangladesh should promote the agro-based industry and elevate the standard of products.

“UNIDO is ready to provide all support to Bangladesh in this regard,” he said. Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu, PM’s advisor Dr Gowher Rizvi, senior secretary of the PMO Suriya Begum, and Bangladesh Ambassador to Austria Abu Jafor, were present.

Priority on industrialisation to generate employment

PM tells visiting director general of UNIDO

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said her government attached priority to rapid industrialisation and welcoming foreign investment to create employment opportunities when the visiting Director General of UN Industrial Development Organizations (UNIDO) Li Yong called on her at the PMO, reports BSS. Our principal objective is to ensure basic needs of the people and create employment opportu-nitiesIndustrialisation is very essential to attain it, PMs press secretary Ihsanul Karim told a media briefing. He said the premiers comments came as the UNIDO chief expressed interest to provide the UN bodys support for Bangladeshs inclusive and sustainable industrial development. UNIDO is a specialised United Nations agency to promote industrial development for poverty reduction, inclusive globalisation and environmental sustainability. Sheikh Hasina highlighted Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahmans initiatives for promotion of the small and medium scale industries saying Bangabandhu wanted to develop the industrial sector under private and public sector as well as cooperative system. Our government is also following the Bangabandhus policy, she said. The premier informed the UNIDO chief that her government opened up private sector for investment and simultaneously offered many facilities to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) while undertook a plan to construct 100 special economic zones where land are being allocated in favour of the investing companies. She said the government also took specific plans to build up food processing and agro-based industries in an area particularly based on locally produced raw materials while considering the growing demand of jute goods at home and abroad in particular, our government is promoting jute production and industries. The prime minister said Bangladesh, with its large population, was a very potential country in terms of consumption of the products as its domestic markets are growing gradually but her government simultaneously was pressing on better regional connectivity like BBIN and BCIM aimed at extending market in neighbouring countries as well. Sheikh Hasina said in view of growing industrial demand for efficient manpower several technical and engineering institutions were established under government initiatives while most parts of Bangladesh was now connected with internet which is facilitating industrial promotion. Appreciating Bangladeshs socio economic development Li Yong said with a huge population it was really a big challenge for a country but Bangladesh is blessed with highest ratio of youngest population in this region which is a great potential for the country. Bangladesh must take the dividend of the demographic benefit, he said. The UNIDO chief suggested these youth force should be properly trained while Bangladesh should promote the agro-based industry and elevate the standard of products. UNIDO is ready to provide all support to Bangladesh in this regard, he said. Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu, PMs advisor Dr Gowher Rizvi, senior secretary of the PMO Suriya Begum, and Bangladesh Ambassador to Austria Abu Jafor, were present.