Prime Minister Tarique Rahman today said his government has taken initiatives to gradually reopen closed factories across the country.
“We have taken steps to restart factories that were shut down in previous years. I have instructed all concerned authorities to assess how quickly each factory can be reopened to create employment opportunities for jobless workers. A meeting on the matter will be held this week,” he said.
The prime minister made the remarks while addressing a workers' rally in front of BNP’s Nayapaltan office in Dhaka this afternoon on the occasion of International Workers’ Day. Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal organised the rally with its president Anwar Hossain in the chair.
Photo: Star/Mehedi Hasan
Tarique Rahman, also the BNP chairman, arrived at the venue at 4:19pm, as thousands of people at the rally welcomed him with slogans and applause. He greeted the crowd by waving to them.
“We know that reopening closed factories alone will not ensure employment for all workers. Alongside these workers, there are many other unemployed people in the country,” the prime minister said, adding that job opportunities must be created for them both at home and abroad.
“Therefore, we have started discussions with local and foreign investors. We are encouraging them to invest in the country and set up factories,” he said.
“If workers are well, Bangladesh will be well. If farmers are well, Bangladesh will be well. That means Bangladesh will prosper only when the country’s working people prosper,” he said.
Addressing the audience, Tarique said, “You have seen that hawkers used to occupy different roads in Dhaka city. We removed them because they were causing traffic congestion and public inconvenience.”
“However, we also understand that they have families, and they need to survive. Therefore, we have instructed the authorities concerned that eviction alone is not enough; their employment must also be ensured. An elected government will certainly create job opportunities for working people,” he said.
