Dhaka:President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir emphasized the importance of improving textile education and research to foster internationally competitive engineers and specialists, aiming to reduce the sector's reliance on foreign experts. This call was made during a meeting with a seven-member delegation led by Bangladesh University of Textiles (BUTEX) Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Md Julhas Uddin at Bangabhaban.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the president highlighted the significance of the textile industry as a major economic sector in the country. He stressed the need for ensuring suitable employment opportunities both domestically and internationally for textile graduates to effectively utilize the nation's skilled human resources and earn foreign currency.
The president also underscored the necessity of increasing domestic cotton production to meet the textile industry's raw material demands. He encouraged initiatives to support farmers, reduce production costs, and enhance coordination between the agriculture and textile sectors. Additionally, he advocated for more research into extracting fibers from natural sources such as jute, pineapple leaves, and banana plants, as well as the development of synthetic yarn.
During the meeting, the delegation informed the president about BUTEX's contributions to the development of the country's textile and readymade garment industries, along with its academic and research activities. They pointed out several areas needing attention, including infrastructure development, modern laboratory establishment, recruitment of additional staff, creation of a separate BCS (Textile) cadre, increased budgetary allocations, and land allocation in Purbachal, Dhaka, for a second campus.
The president listened to their concerns, advised them to contact relevant ministries for resolutions, and assured them of his cooperation. He also accepted an invitation to preside over BUTEX's second convocation scheduled for March next year.
Other members of the delegation included Prof Dr Md Ahsan Habib, Prof Shilpi Akter, Prof Dr Hasina Akhtar, Prof Dr Rasheda Begum Dina, and Prof Dr Lamia Zahir. The president's military secretary, secretary, and press secretary were also present at the meeting.