PRAN-RFL Group, one of the country's leading business conglomerates, has successfully created 2,000 jobs within just six months by reviving the long-closed Rajshahi Textile Mills, renamed Barendra Rajshahi Textile Limited.
The group now aims to create more 10,000 jobs by investing in various labor-intensive sectors including tele-marketing and ready-made garments.
The announcement was made at a celebration event titled "Celebrating 2,000 Jobs - Aiming for 12,000" held at the factory premises in Sapura, Rajshahi on Saturday.
Brigadier General (Retd.) Dr. M Sakhawat Hussain, Adviser to the Ministry of Labour and Employment, attended the programme as the Chief Guest and cut a cake to mark the employment milestone. A H M Shafiquzzaman, Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Ahsan Khan Chowdhury, Chairman and CEO of PRAN-RFL Group, Farzana Islam, Superintendent of Police of Rajshahi, Nurul Alam, Manager of Bangladesh Textile Mills Corporation and senior officials from the local administration were also present.
Addressing the event, Brigadier General (Retd.) Dr. M Sakhawat Hussain said, "This initiative of PRAN-RFL Group is undoubtedly a groundbreaking step. Creating employment for 2,000 people in such a short time by reopening a state-owned mill that had been closed for a long time is truly commendable. This is not just the opening of an industrial factory, it is the beginning of socio-economic change in a region."
He also said, "At a time when people in rural areas of the country are moving to cities due to lack of employment, organizations like PRAN-RFL are creating employment opportunities through industrialization at the local level, which is one of the main foundations of sustainable development."
The adviser handed over the appointment letters to some of the newly appointed people at the event.
Ahsan Khan Chowdhury, Chairman and CEO of PRAN-RFL Group, said, "Our mission is purposeful. We believe that the days of migrating to Dhaka for work are nearing to an end. Instead, we aim to reach the rural areas of the country with job offer letters. By investing in labor-intensive industries in Rajshahi, we are creating significant employment opportunities."
He also added, "We are going to develop a fully sustainable green industrial park, with all products being 100% export-oriented. We are working on new avenues of employment, particularly for women. A tele-marketing hub is going to lunch here, creating thousands of jobs for women in the coming days."
PRAN-RFL signed a public-private partnership agreement with the Bangladesh Textile Mills Corporation (BTMC) in October last year to reopen the Rajshahi Textile Mills, which had been shut down for 22 years.
Following the handover from BTMC in December, PRAN-RFL began reviving the site. Within a short span, the group has successfully repaired and repurposed the only usable shed on the premises and has already started the production of bags and shoes.
