The Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Textiles and Jute on Saturday recommended mechanizing operations under the Bangladesh Sericulture Development Board and ensuring easier access to yarn, dyes and raw materials for marginal weavers.
The committee made the recommendations at its first meeting of the 13th National Parliament at the National Parliament with its Chairman Md Akhtaruzzaman Mia, MP, in the chair. The committee also recommended ensuring transparency, integrity and accountability in the tender process by avoiding repeated awards of tenders to the same institution.
It suggested involving local members of parliament in taking necessary steps to make yarn, dyes and other raw materials more accessible to marginal weavers through weavers associations or the appointment of dealers, according to a parliament secretariat press release. The committee further recommended examining the operations of the Bangladesh Handloom Board office at Ranir Bandar in Dinajpur and verifying whether the land associated with the office had been leased out before taking action.
At the meeting, the committee reviewed the activities of the Ministry of Textiles and Jute and its subordinate departments and agencies. Officials presented an overview of their operations and briefed the committee on the ministry initiatives under the government 180-day program and the progress of ongoing projects.
The committee also recommended conducting all activities of the ministry in line with the prime minister election manifesto and taking appropriate initiatives to implement its commitments. At the beginning of the meeting, the chairman paid tribute to Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman, former BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, and martyrs of the Liberation War and the July 2024 movement.
Textiles and Jute Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir, State Minister Md Shariful Alam, and committee members S M Faisal, Md Abdullah, Rezeka Sultana, Md Afjal Hossain, Hafez Muhammad Rabiul Bashar, and Mahabuba Hakim attended the meeting alongside ministry and parliament secretariat officials.
Why it matters
The parliamentary recommendations aim to improve administrative transparency and enhance material support for marginal weavers and the sericulture sector in Bangladesh.