Integrated efforts needed to develop textile, jute sectors: commerce minister

Commerce, Industries, Textiles and Jute Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir yesterday said coordinated efforts by industry, academia and the government are essential for the development of Bangladesh’s textile and jute sectors.

“There are opportunities to further improve Bangladesh’s textile education, research and technological capabilities through collaboration with international educational institutions such as China’s Zhejiang Sci-Tech University,” he said.

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The minister made the remarks while addressing a symposium, organised by Zhejiang Sci-Tech University at the Jute Diversification Promotion Centre (JDPC), in Dhaka as the chief guest.

Muktadir said the world economy is rapidly moving towards technology-driven systems, and students, teachers and industry stakeholders need to be familiar with artificial intelligence, modern technologies and digital management.

The commerce minister said Bangladesh’s readymade garment sector currently earns around $38-39 billion from exports

“The government is taking necessary initiatives to help Bangladesh keep pace with global technological changes,” he said.

The minister stressed the need to modernise the country’s textile institutes and vocational education system in line with the requirements of the modern world.

“To this end, initiatives will be taken to review the curricula of Bangladesh’s textile institutes and align them with China’s modern textile education system,” he said.

He also said opportunities would be created for skills development through training by experienced Chinese teachers and experts, as well as by sending Bangladeshi faculty members to China for advanced training.

The commerce minister said Bangladesh’s readymade garment sector currently earns around $38-39 billion from exports. However, he noted that there is significant scope to earn more foreign currency from the same volume of exports by producing high-value and value-added textile products.

“Bangladesh’s textile sector needs to move towards man-made fibres and value-added products,” he said.

Muktadir said the textile sector had played an important role in the economic development of industrialised countries. Although many countries moved from textiles to other sectors as their economies transformed, Bangladesh still has considerable scope to further develop its textile industry.

“China’s experience and technology can be utilised to accelerate this transformation in Bangladesh,” he said.

On the jute sector, Muktadir said jute is an important product deeply connected with Bangladesh’s heritage and emotions.

He stressed the need to raise jute productivity, develop new products and produce high-value jute goods to take the sector to a new level. “Joint research initiatives with China can create opportunities to increase jute productivity, introduce new technologies and develop value-added products,” he added.

The minister said the potential of the jute sector could increase manifold if raw jute is transformed into blended fibres, fabrics and other high-value products instead of being exported or used primarily in raw form.

He also said higher jute productivity would benefit farmers and encourage them to cultivate more jute.

The bilateral symposium, titled “Costume, Culture, and Connection: A Bilateral Symposium on Traditional Attire and Cultural Exchange”, was organised by Zhejiang Sci-Tech University at JDPC in Dhaka.

The secretary of the Ministry of Textiles and Jute, director general of the Department of Textiles, representatives of Zhejiang Sci-Tech University and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the vice-chancellor of BGMEA University of Fashion and Technology, academics, researchers and entrepreneurs from the textile and apparel industries attended the event.