No repeat of jute sector's mistakes in textiles: Adviser Bashir
He noted that over the past 20–25 years, the capacity of spinning and weaving machinery has increased from 150–200 spindles to around 2,000 to reduce costs and stay competitive
Mistakes made in the jute sector will not be repeated in the textile sector, Textile and Jute Ministry Adviser Sheikh Bashir Uddin has said.
"We will not take any decision driven by emotion. Our decisions will be based on realities," he said today (4 December) while speaking as the chief guest at a seminar titled "Resilience and Reinvention: Creating skilled professionals for the textile and apparel sector of Bangladesh," organised to mark National Textile Day.
The event was held at the Jute Diversification Promotion Centre in the capital.
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Describing the textile sector as a key driving force of the economy, the adviser said, "We aim to export $100 billion. To reach this target, we need convergence—coordination among industry, academia, and policy support. I believe we will not repeat the mistakes we made in the jute sector."
Highlighting business challenges in the textile industry, he said, "This is a commodity industry. Raw material prices are the same for everyone and account for about 80% of production costs. The remaining 20% is where profit must come from. So, there is no alternative to efficiency."
He noted that over the past 20–25 years, the capacity of spinning and weaving machinery has increased from 150–200 spindles to around 2,000 to reduce costs and stay competitive.
"During Manchester's industrial revolution, our local handloom industry could not survive due to a lack of skills. If we fail in capacity development now, the industry will fall behind again," he said.
The adviser also spoke about the quality of textile education and the gap between academic learning and industry needs.
"There are two types of education—one for self-enlightenment and the other functional. Textile education is entirely functional. But due to the lack of linkage between academia and industry, 52% of students want to switch professions after completing their studies," he said.
He added that many of the instruments in university laboratories are not compatible with the advanced machinery used in factories, leaving graduates unable to demonstrate the skills required in the workplace.
