Businesses seek PM’s attention to save ailing non-textile factories

Business leaders today sought the prime minister's attention to save the ailing non-textile factories, which are struggling to stay afloat owing to the ongoing financial crisis.

They came up with the call at a meeting of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) Standing Committee on Rehabilitation of the Sick Industry.

After coming to power in 2009, the Awami League-led government formed a high-powered task force to rehabilitate the sick industry and settle their liabilities, the business leaders said.

Then, the task force categorised sick factories into three categories namely garments, textiles and non-textiles and as per the decision of the task force, the government had issued circulars to settle the liabilities of 279 garment factories and 100 textile factories, they said.

But no non-textile factory has got this facility yet and even though all these industries are sick, the banks have filed cases in the Money Loan Court showing that they are defaulters, the businesses alleged.

Though Bangladesh Bank and finance ministry held several meetings, they could not come up with any solution in this regard. As a result, the ailing non-textile factories are unable to take on new business ventures, they observed.

Therefore, the sick industries have now been seeking the prime minister's help to get rid of this situation, the business leaders added.

Addressing the meeting, Sadeque U Chowdhury, chairman of the FBCCI standing committee, said, the Munsef Committee was formed in 1998 to rehabilitate the sick industry. The then Awami League government had set up a fund of Tk 100 crore for the rehabilitation of sick industries.

Attending the meeting as the chief guest, FBCCI Senior Vice President Mostofa Azad Chowdhury Babu said a separate desk would be set up at the FBCCI to assist and rehabilitate the sick industry.

The FBCCI will take steps to rehabilitate the newly ailing industry through discussions with the concerned ministries and departments of the government including the finance ministry and Bangladesh Bank, he said.

Tahmin Ahmed, director-in-charge of the committee, said they will send a letter to the prime minister soon seeking her help in rescuing the sick industry owners.

FBCCI Secretary General Mohammad Mahfuzul Hoque, co-chairmen of the committee Nasir Uddin A Ferdous, M Nazrul Islam, Sarkar Md Salauddin and AKM Khorshed Alam Khan, and other members of the committee were present at the meeting.