Home ›› 11 Feb 2023 ›› Nation
Ensuring a business-friendly atmosphere can be the crucial means of bolstering economic conditions coupled with employment generation in the region through attracting investments.
There is enormous potential for traditional silk along with establishing agro-processing industries so business promotion can contribute a lot towards the potential sectors for proper utilisation of the agro-products.
The observation came at a daylong workshop titled "Inclusive, Smooth and Sustainable LDC Graduation: Local level Stakeholders Consultation" at Nanking Darbar Hall in Rajshahi city on Thursday.
The District Administration organised the workshop supported by the Smooth and Sustainable Graduation Project (SSGP) of the Economic Relations Division (ERD) under the Ministry of Finance discussing and devising ways and means how to attain the cherished goal of ensuring smooth and sustainable LDC graduation.
ERD Secretary Sharifa Khan addressed the consultation workshop as chief, while Commissioner of Rajshahi division GSM Zafarullah spoke as a special guest with Deputy Commissioner Abdul Jalil in the chair.
SSGP Component Manager Rezaul Bashar Siddique gave an overview of the "inclusive, smooth and sustainable LDC graduation: challenges and way forward" issue during his concept paper presentation. Vice principal of New Government Degree College Prof Waliul Alam, President of Bangladesh Silk Industries Owners Association Liakat Ali, Social Worker Shaheen Akhter Rainy, President of Rajshahi Press Club Saidur Rahman and Editor of Daily Sonar Desh Akbarul Hassan Millat also spoke on the occasion.
ERD Secretary Sharifa Khan termed the LDC graduation a matter of pride for the country. Reminding Bangladesh's success in terms of facing different global challenges in the past she expects the pace of development will continue even after LDC graduation similarly.
Commissioner Zafarullah called for the best use of all the existing potentialities, including agriculture and tourism, to boost the economic growth of the Rajshahi region. Apart from this, he also advocated for ensuring a business-friendly atmosphere to attract investment.
Referring to the agriculture sector, silk industrialist Liakat Ali observed that surplus production of vegetables and other seasonal fruits could be utilised properly by setting up agro-based export-processing zones in the region.
More investment in the business and industrial sector has become crucial for bolstering the economic condition of the region, which is very important for improving the living and livelihood conditions of the people, particularly the marginalised and less-income groups.
In her remarks, Shaheen Akther Rainy said there are huge potentialities of exporting products to different global markets from Rajshahi around the year.
"Rajshahi's jute, silk, handicrafts and mango are very familiar in world markets. Among the nine products that have so far been registered as Geographical Indications (GI) in Bangladesh, four are from Rajshahi," he said.
She also said the prospect of agro-processing enterprises is bright in the Rajshahi region as it produces surplus crops especially food grains, fruits and vegetables.
Shaheen Akther viewed the region has enormous potential for making agro-processing enterprises sustainable and profitable as it has been producing varieties of fruits and vegetables contributing to the national economy.
