BUTEX Delegation Calls on President, Who Urges Skilled Textile Engineers and Less Reliance on Foreign Experts
A seven-member delegation from Bangladesh University of Textiles (BUTEX), led by Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Md Julhas Uddin, paid a courtesy call on President and Chancellor of the university Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir at Bangabhaban on Sunday.
During the meeting, the President stressed improving the quality of textile education, expanding research, and producing internationally standard skilled and specialist engineers to meet the needs of the country's textile sector. He also called for reducing dependence on foreign experts.
The President said that alongside training students as skilled manpower for the domestic textile industry, importance must be given to creating suitable employment opportunities for them at home and abroad. In his view, this would ensure proper use of the country's skilled workforce while also increasing opportunities to earn foreign currency.
He also emphasised increasing domestic cotton production to meet the raw material demand of the textile industry, urging encouragement for farmers, lower production costs, and greater coordination between the agriculture and textile sectors.
The President further highlighted the need to strengthen research into collecting fibres from natural sources such as jute, pineapple leaves and banana plants, as well as into producing synthetic yarn — linking textile education and research with the search for new sources of raw material.
The delegation briefed the President on BUTEX's role in the development of Bangladesh's textile and readymade garment industry and on the university's academic and research activities.
They drew his attention to several issues: infrastructural development of the university, setting up modern laboratories, increasing necessary manpower, creating a separate cadre named 'BCS (Textile)', expanding the budget, and allocating land at Purbachal in Dhaka for a second campus.
The President listened attentively and advised the delegation to communicate with the relevant ministry to resolve the issues raised, while also assuring them of his cooperation.
The Vice-Chancellor invited the President, in his capacity as Chancellor, to preside over BUTEX's second convocation, scheduled for March next year. The President accepted the invitation and assured the delegation of his presence.
Other members of the delegation included Dean of the Faculty of Textile Management and Business Studies Professor Dr Md Ahsan Habib, Dean of the Faculty of Textile Engineering Professor Shilpi Akter, Dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering Professor Dr Hasina Akhtar, and Dean of the Faculty of Textile Chemical Engineering Professor Dr Rasheda Begum Dina.
Also present were Professor Dr Lamia Zahir of the Faculty of Fashion Design and Apparel Engineering and Engineer Sanjida Islam Tuli, a Member of Parliament from a reserved women's seat and a former BUTEX student. The President's military secretary, secretary and press secretary were also in attendance.
