PM Calls for Public-Private Collaboration to Boost Industrial Growth

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has pledged full government support to investors committed to reviving closed and loss-making state-owned factories across the country. 

The assurance came during a roadshow organized for local and foreign investors at the Prime Minister’s Office in Tejgaon, aimed at attracting private capital to revitalize non-performing industrial assets.

Addressing the assembled business leaders, the Prime Minister emphasized the necessity of a collaborative approach to economic recovery. 

“We want you to move forward and prosper. We will support you in every possible way,” he said. 

Highlighting the role of the administration, Tarique Rahman stated that the primary responsibility of a political government is to “remove obstacles and create pathways to overcome the challenges” facing the industrial sector.

While acknowledging the scale of the task, he noted that the government cannot resolve every issue in isolation. “The reality is that we cannot solve all problems at once. But it is possible to address them gradually and systematically,” he remarked. 

Encouraging a partnership between the public and private sectors, he added, “I will simply say—let us work together to bring about change. There are problems and there are challenges. But we have also realized that if we all work together, we can overcome these difficulties.”

The event, organized jointly by the Ministries of Industries, Textiles and Jute, and the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), featured a comprehensive presentation on 44 specific state-owned factories. 

The briefing provided business leaders with detailed data regarding factory locations, existing infrastructure, available investment incentives, transportation connectivity, and the potential for production expansion. 

Following the presentations, business representatives engaged in an open discussion session, posing nearly 50 questions that were addressed by the relevant authorities.

The high-level meeting was attended by key government figures, including Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury; Commerce, Industries, and Textiles and Jute Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir; PM’s Finance and Planning Adviser Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir; Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology and Science and Technology Adviser Rehan Asif Asad; BIDA Executive Chairman Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun; Bangladesh Bank Governor Md Mostaqur Rahman; and Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary ABM Abdus Sattar.

The event saw participation from leading Bangladeshi industrial conglomerates, including PRAN-RFL, ACI Limited, Walton, Meghna Group, Runner, T.K. Group, BRAC, Nabil Group, Square Group, Transcom Group, Akij Group, and Lal Teer. 

Furthermore, the roadshow attracted significant interest from Japanese organizations and companies, including Marubeni Corporation, Toyota Tsusho Corporation, Sumitomo Corporation, MUFG Bank Limited, Mitsui & Co. (Asia Pacific) Pte. Ltd., Sojitz Asia Pte. Ltd., the JETRO Bangladesh Office, and officials from the Embassy of Japan in Bangladesh.