Past jute sector mistakes won't be repeated in textile industry: Bashir

Commerce, Textile and Jute Adviser Sk. Bashir Uddin today said the government is determined to advance the textile sector by learning from the past failures of the jute industry, ensuring that similar mistakes are not repeated.

He made the remarks while addressing a seminar titled "Resilience and Reinvention: Creating Skilled Professionals for the Textile and Apparel Sector of Bangladesh" at the Jute Diversification Promotion Centre (JDPC) in Dhaka.

Bashir noted that inefficiency, mismanagement, and unrealistic promises had once pushed the jute industry to the brink of collapse. 

"In the past, the jute sector suffered due to incompetence, mismanagement, and systemic irregularities. Colorful dreams were shown without any grounding in reality," he said. "We will not let the textile industry fall into the same traps. Our decisions will be practical, not emotional."

The seminar was organized to mark National Textile Day 2025, observed this year under the theme "Growth of the Textile Industry, Economic Prosperity." Textile and Jute Secretary Bilkis Jahan Rimi presided over the event.

Highlighting the textile sector as the key driver of the national economy, the adviser noted its significant contributions to GDP growth and employment generation. 

"We aim to achieve US$100 billion in exports. To meet this goal, industry, academia and policymakers must work collectively. Without capacity enhancement, Bangladesh risks losing competitiveness in the global market," he said.

The adviser emphasized the importance of skilled human resources for global competitiveness. "The Middle East has crude oil; we have 180 million people. If we can turn our population into skilled manpower, it will open new opportunities for the textile sector and the broader economy," he added.

On eco-friendly jute products, Bashir said the government has launched a major initiative under the Climate Fund, creating a revolving fund involving over 1,600 entrepreneurs. Products purchased through the fund are being resold to ensure affordable market prices.

He also announced that one million jute bags will be sold at the forthcoming Dhaka International Trade Fair, with the objective of bringing traditional Bangladeshi jute bags back into mainstream use.