Govt commits to ensure business friendly atmosphere

Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun MP has said the present government is committed to ensure business-friendly atmospheres as it has been working to generate more employment opportunities through industrialisation.

He urged the entrepreneurs to invest more in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) compared to the heavy industries because SMEs are more labour- intensive than the heavy ones.

The minister made the observation while exchanging views with businessmen, political leaders and other stakeholders related to ensuring business- friendly atmosphere at circuit house conference hall here today as the chief guest.

Mayor of Rajshahi City Corporation AHM Khairuzzaman Liton, Chairman of Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) Mahbubor Rahman, Commissioner of Rajshahi division GSM Zafarullah, Commissioner of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police Abu Kalam Siddique and Chairman of Oikya Foundation Shaheen Akhter Rainy addressed the meeting as special guests with Deputy Commissioner Abdul Jalil in the chair.

BSCIC Regional Director Rezaul Alam Sarker welcomed the participants. Minister Nurul Majid Humayun said the government has created areas of confidence in terms of investment and called for more investment in the potential sectors, particularly tourism, silk, agro-processing and farm machineries, in the region.

He opined that industrialization is very important for generating employment opportunities coupled with bolstering local and regional economy and attaining the sustainable development goals.

"We are working relentlessly to encourage more investment through mitigating the existing problems being faced by the entrepreneurs," he added.

He categorically said no more industries will remain nonfunctional or sold- out because the government is determined to make all the dysfunctional industries operational for the sake of creating more employment scopes, including for women for their empowerment.

He mentioned that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been giving painstaking efforts to this end.

Nurul Majid Humayun told the meeting that the government has decided to set up a modern leather processing industry on 124 acres of land in Belpukur area in Rajshahi for expediting the business of finished leather products.

In his remarks, Mayor Liton called for generating employment opportunities for the huge unemployed youths through promoting the business sector.

Taking part in open discussion, many of the attending entrepreneurs and business leaders unequivocally stressed the need for solving their existing problems to hasten their efforts of employment generation.

Later, the minister visited the BSCIC industrial units and talked to the persons concerned.