RAJSHAHI, Aug 02 (V7N) – Labour and Employment and Shipping Adviser Brigadier General (Retd.) Sakhawat Hossain today underscored the critical need for increased industrial development in the Rajshahi region to generate employment opportunities. He noted that the region possesses a large workforce, many of whom are compelled to seek jobs in other areas, including Dhaka, which presents significant difficulties for them.

The Adviser made these remarks while addressing a celebration event titled "Celebrating 2,000 Jobs – Aiming for 12,000" at Barendra Rajshahi Textile Limited. The event marked a significant milestone as PRAN-RFL Group, a leading Bangladeshi business conglomerate, successfully created 2,000 jobs within just six months by reviving the long-closed Rajshahi Textile Mills, now rebranded as Barendra Rajshahi Textile Limited.

Following its takeover from the Bangladesh Textile Mills Corporation (BTMC) in December of last year (2024), PRAN-RFL swiftly initiated the revival of the site. Within a short period, the group successfully repaired and repurposed the only usable shed on the premises and has already commenced the production of bags and shoes.

PRAN-RFL Group now has an ambitious goal of creating an additional 10,000 jobs by investing in various labor-intensive sectors, including tele-marketing and ready-made garments, in the Rajshahi region. Ahsan Khan Chowdhury, Chairman of PRAN-RFL Group, emphasized their purposeful mission to create significant employment opportunities by investing in labor-intensive industries in Rajshahi. He also revealed plans to develop a fully sustainable green industrial park, with all products being 100 percent export-oriented. "We are working on new avenues of employment, particularly for women. A tele-marketing hub is going to be launched here, creating thousands of jobs for women in the coming days,” he added.

Adviser Sakhawat Hossain expressed optimism that if more companies establish industries in the region, many more people would be able to improve their livelihoods through employment.

Secretary to the Ministry of Labour and Employment AHM Shafiquzzaman also spoke at the occasion.

During the event, appointment letters were symbolically handed over to 10 young men and women who had previously received vocational training at the UCEP training center in the area, highlighting the practical impact of these initiatives.

The revival of the Rajshahi Textile Mills, a state-owned factory that had been closed for over two decades, through a public-private partnership with PRAN-RFL Group, is being hailed as a model for revitalizing idle industrial assets and addressing regional unemployment.

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