PM asks for import of sugar, pulses thru' TCB

Prime Minister (PM) Sheikh Hasina yesterday directed the industries ministry to import sugar and pulses through Trading Corporation of Bangladesh for making those available to people at lower price.
She also directed the authorities concerned to import unrefined sugar for the country's sugar mills and asked the industries ministry to take immediate steps for reopening of Khulna Newsprint Mill and Chittagong Chemical Complex.
The PM further directed to convert Bangladesh Standard and Testing Institute into an international standard monitoring body.
The directives came from the prime minister during a meeting with Industries Minister Dilip Barua and other top officials of the ministry at Shilpa Bhaban in the morning.
Hasina said it is urgently needed to reopen all the closed mills and factories to make Bangladesh self-dependent in all respects.
She said she does not want to see Bangladesh as an import-based country in future. "Everything will be produced here to meet demands of the people."
Terming the decision of bringing down the workers' working period from 60 years to 57 years as unrealistic, Hasina said: "I don't see any logic behind the decision."
She directed the industries minister to re-fix 60 years as the workers' length of service.
Unveiling her government's plan, Hasina said the government would modernize Mongla port through necessary dredging and neighboring country Nepal will also be able to use the port, which will give Bangladesh financial benefit.
"I do not understand why we fail to make public sector enterprises profitable. All should work to make those profitable," she said referring to the profit scenario of the private sector enterprises.
Emphasizing on public-private initiative, the PM said the public sector and the private sector should work together to ensure a vibrant and smooth economy for Bangladesh.
"It was a general conception earlier that all should be kept under government control. Later, it was said all should go to private sector for real development. But now the trend has changed."
She said: "Ours is an agro-based economy. We always emphasize on agriculture… if an agricultural country tries, it also can be an industrial country. Japan is a big example for us. Like Japan, we also have lot of opportunities to make our country industrially developed."
Hasina said Bangladesh must reduce dependence on other countries. "We do not want to live as a country, which is dependent on others."
Underscoring the importance of industrialization, she said the key to development truly lies in industries though Bangladesh is an agriculture-based country.
The premier also stressed the need for increasing the people's purchasing capacity saying that unless it is ensured, it will not be possible to create market for local products.
"Local industries will have to create their own market in the country," PM said.
Recalling the Awami League rule in 1996-2001 period, Hasina said some had tried to shut down Bangladesh Machine Tools Factory and Khulna Shipyard. "We handed over those to Bangladesh Army and Bangladesh Navy (respectively) and they converted both into profitable ventures."
She said they had no plan to close down Adamjee Jute Mills. "We (rather) invested Tk 12 crore there for research."
The prime minister lamented that Khulna once was a vibrant city and they had a plan to set up an industrial park there.
She alleged that the previous BNP-Jamaat alliance government had closed down many mills and factories.
Speaking on the occasion, Industries Minister Dilip Barua said the government as part of its plan to reopen the closed mills and factories has taken steps to make Chittagong Chemical Complex functional again.
"We also have a plan to reopen Khulna Newsprint Mill and North Bengal Paper Mill."
He said the government would soon set up an industrial village at Keraniganj in Dhaka and an industrial zone in Munshiganj for light engineering and pharmaceutical sectors respectively.
PM's Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad, Office Secretary Mollah Wahiduzzaman, Industries Secretary and other senior officials also joined the meeting.