First-ever RMG factory opens in N'ganj jail

Country's first-ever garment factory, set up inside a jail to facilitate income for prisoners, opens today.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan will inaugurate the factory at the Narayanganj district jail.

Some 300-400 prisoners received training from Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) to run the factory in two shifts, said Narayanganj Jail Superintendent Subhas Kumar Ghosh.

Their earnings will be credited to their respective accounts. They can either send the money to their families or withdraw the entire amount after serving their term in the prison, he said.

The garment factory was built on 5,000 square feet of area with the help of the district administration and the Department of Social Services. A total of 57 imported machines were installed at the factory, he added.

While inaugurating a display and selling centre at the jail gate, the Deputy Commissioner Rabbi Miah laid the foundation stone of a training and rehabilitation centre inside the jail.

The jail authorities have also taken initiatives for creating income opportunities for the prisoners.

They have installed six looms inside the jail where 12 prisoners will be working for producing Jamdani fabrics.

DC Rabbi Miah said the factory will be a milestone as the prisoners will get a means to better pass their time and earn at the same time.

"Although various handicraft projects were taken at different jails, setting up of a garment factory to transform the prisoners into a workforce is the first in the country's history," he said.