Arms factory to be built at Jalil Textile
- Land handed over to Bangladesh Army
An arms factory is being established on the land of Jalil Textile Mills, controlled by the Bangladesh Textile Mills Corporation (BTMC), in Bhatiary, Chattogram. A contract was signed yesterday to hand over 54.99 acres of land of the mill to the Bangladesh Army for the expansion of the Bangladesh Ordnance Factories (BOF). Minister for Commerce, Industry and Textiles and Jute Khandaker Abdul Muktadir was the chief guest at the event. Quartermaster General of the Bangladesh Army Lt General Mohammad Shahinul Haque delivered the welcome speech at the event. The contract was then formally signed. ISPR said the BTMC chairman signed the agreement on behalf of the Bangladesh Textile Mills Corporation, while the Military Estate Officer, Eastern Circle, Chattogram, signed it on behalf of the Bangladesh Army.
Minister for Commerce, Industry and Textiles and Jute Khandaker Abdul Muktadir, State Minister Md Shariful Alam, Prime Minister’s Defence Adviser Brigadier General (retd) Dr AKM Shamsul Islam, Chief of Army Staff General Waker-Uz-Zaman, BTMC Chairman Brigadier General SM Zahid Hasan and Secretary of the Ministry of Textiles and Jute Sharaf Uddin Ahmed Chowdhury spoke at the event. Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir said the present government wants all kinds of products manufactured in the country, including defence equipment, to gain recognition in the outside world. He expressed hope that under the leadership of the Prime Minister’s Defence Adviser and the Chief of Army Staff, the armed forces, including the defence industry, will be able to achieve the desired goals.
The Chief of Army Staff thanked the Prime Minister for the measures taken by the present government to modernise the army. He expressed hope that this continuity would continue. It may be mentioned that through the expansion of BOF, the country’s only institution producing weapons and ammunition, domestic production of modern weapons and ammunition will increase, dependence on foreign countries will decrease and defence capabilities will be further strengthened. At the same time, the initiative is expected to play an important role in achieving self-reliance and technological capabilities in arms production.
