Unlock potentials of jute, jute products: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today urged all to work sincerely for unlocking the huge potentials of jute and jute products.

"Jute is our national asset...this is an agricultural product and industrial material as well...its multipurpose use is important for us...we can expedite our socioeconomic development by using it," she said.

The prime minister said this while speaking at the National Jute Day-2018 programme and inaugurating a three-day multipurpose jute product fair at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC).

The Ministry of Textiles and Jute organised the function at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) with Textiles and Jute Minister M Emaz Uddin Pramanik in the chair.

Sheikh Hasina said jute and jute products have good demand both in the country and elsewhere in the world as people are now very much aware about using eco-friendly items.

"We can produce better jute and jute products. If we can work together, we can tap the enormous potentials of jute for country's development," she said.

Hasina laid emphasis on regaining the past glory of jute and its products. "We're taking programmes for jute development, its collection and preservation."

She also said people related with the jute sector should look at new items and markets for exporting jute goods to fetch more foreign currencies. "We must not stick to one or two items for our export basket...we have to diversify our export as well as grab new markets."

Referring to decades-old machinery in public jute mills, the prime minister said these have to be replaced. "We've to take steps to procure new machines for these mills."

The prime minister urged all, including officials and workers, to be sincere in protecting the mills as these provide their livelihood. "You must protect these industries and boost production," she said.

State Minister Mirza Azam, chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Textiles and Jute Saber Hossain Chowdhury were present as special guests. Jute and Textiles Secretary M Faizur Rahman Chowdhury delivered the welcome address.

Earlier, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina handed over National Jute Award among 12 individuals and organisations under 11 categories for their contributions to development of the jute sector.

The 11 categories are best jute grower, best jute seed producer, best multi-jute products producer jute mill, best jute product producer government jute mill, best jute product producer non-government jute mill, best raw jute exporter, best jute product exporter, best jute fibre, best multi-jute product exporter, best jute product producer and highest jute supplier organisation and best multi-jute product producer.

Besides, the prime minister handed over awards to six winners of a countrywide essay competition in two categories at the same function.

Some 235 kinds of jute products are displaying at the three-day fair.

Later, she witnessed a documentary on jute and visited different stalls of the fair.