Technology vital for boosting industrial productivity: speakers

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RAJSHAHI, Nov 30, 2020 (BSS) – Highlighting the importance of boosting productivity, speakers at a daylong regional workshop on Sunday unanimously called for promoting modern technologies in the region’s production sector.

All the public and private sectors concerned should come forward and work together to attain the cherished goal of making the nation self-reliant in productivity to meet up its gradually mounting demands amid the rising population besides the adverse impact of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic situation.

They came up with the observation while taking part in a participatory discussion of the workshop styled “Technology is Imperative for Sustainable Development” held in Rajshahi.

Around 150 people comprising scientists, researchers, entrepreneurs, especially the small and medium ones, and other stakeholders joined the workshop and many of them took part in its open discussion putting forward a set of recommendations on how to infuse dynamism into the industrial productivity sector.

Rajshahi Regional Laboratory of Bangladesh Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR) hosted the workshop in its conference hall to mark the Mujib Borsha- 2020, birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

BCSIR Chairman Prof Dr Aftab Ali Sheikh addressed the meeting as the chief guest, while Member Zaker Hossain and Secretary Abdul Tarique spoke as special guests with Dr Ibrahim Hossain, Chief Scientific Officer and Director of BCSIR, Rajshahi Laboratory, in the chair.

BCSIR Principal Scientific Officer Badrul Islam gave an illustration on the issue during his keynote presentation.

Prof Dr Aftab Ali said the present government under the dynamic and visionary leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has launched various time-fitting measures to inspire the entrepreneurs towards quality production to cope with the Covid-19 pandemic situation.

He said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, on April 5, declared a financial assistance package of Tk 20,000 crore to introduce low-interest on working capital loan facility through the banking system to retain the capacity of cottage, micro, small and medium enterprise (CMSME) entrepreneurs affected by coronavirus and to keep the manpower working.

Prof Ali said the government has set the Vision- 2021, Vision- 2041 and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 and has been working relentlessly to attain the visions.

He urged the entrepreneurs to supplement the government endeavours through enhancing quality productions.

Prof Ali also urged them to earn consumers satisfaction along with confidence as it’s very much important to make the industry profitable and sustainable. Productivity improvement has been considered as the most important factor for the national economy and it accelerates the development of the overall economy of the country.

In his remarks, Zaker Hossain mentioned that the government is committed to achieve the sustainable development goals by 2030 and to achieve this goal there is no alternative to enhancing productivity in all sectors. Awareness on productivity among the mass people is very essential.

He said productivity plays an important role to increase production, savings, investments and employment opportunities to the people of the country.

Recent performance in economic growth and changes in social indicators of Bangladesh have drawn the attention of the global economist, political and business community despite the adverse impact of the pandemic, Hossain added.