DHAKA, Aug 11, 2026 (V7N) - Prime Minister Tarique Rahman today said a state becomes stronger only when its people are economically empowered, stressing that ensuring citizens' economic capacity along with political rights is essential to build a strong and prosperous Bangladesh.
"Keeping ordinary people in hardship or silencing them cannot make a state strong. Political rights must go hand in hand with economic empowerment. To this end, the government will extend all necessary policy support to encourage domestic entrepreneurs to invest and create employment," he said.
The Prime Minister made the remarks at a ceremony at the Cabinet Division of Bangladesh Secretariat marking the signing of lease agreements to reopen three closed state-owned jute mills under private management, said PM's Deputy Press Secretary Hasan Shiplu.
The government today signed lease agreements with two private groups - PRAN-RFL Group and HAMCO Group - to reopen three long-closed mills with about Tk 619 crore investment, creating at least 11,629 jobs and generating an estimated annual turnover of Tk 1,175 crore.
nder the deals, PRAN-RFL Group will lease National Jute Mills Ltd in Sirajganj and Star Jute Mills Ltd in Khulna, while HAMCO Group will lease Platinum Jubilee Jute Mills Ltd in Khulna.
"If we can ensure the economic capacity of the people, the state becomes strong," the Prime Minister said, underlining the need to create opportunities for people to improve their livelihoods.
Promising to stand beside genuine entrepreneurs, he said, "If we can support entrepreneurs, it will create employment and livelihood security for people on the one hand and improve the overall economic situation on the other."
"We want to build a country where everyone will be better off than they are now. This is our main goal and objective," he said.
Tarique Rahman said foreign investment will certainly come and the government wants it, but local investors must also be encouraged alongside freign investors.
"We will provide as much policy support as necessary from the government to help them do business and make investments," he said, adding that government policies are aimed at creating opportunities for all walks of life.
He thanked the two business groups for taking responsibility for the three jute mills and hoped their investments would succeed and contribute to the national economy through employment generation.
Commerce, Industries and Textiles and Jute Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir, State Minister for Textiles and Jute Md Shariful Alam, Textiles and Jute Secretary Sharf Uddin Ahmed Choudhury, PRAN-RFL Group Chairman Ahsan Khan Chowdhury and HAMCO Group Managing Director A T M Mostafa also spoke at the programme.
According to the agreements, around Tk 157 crore will be invested in National Jute Mills at Raipur in Sirajganj to create 5,238 jobs and generate around Tk 500 crore annual turnover, while Tk 250 crore will be invested in Star Jute Mills in Dighlia, Khulna for 5,238 jobs and Tk 500 crore turnover, and Tk 212 crore in Platinum Jubilee Jute Mills in Khalishpur, Khulna for at least 1,153 jobs and Tk 175 crore turnover.
The government has decided to reopen 20 of the 25 closed BJMC mills under private management through leasing. So far, leases for 14 mills have been completed and possession handed over, with production already resumed at nine of them.
END/AJ/RH
