Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday said that despite being an environment-friendly agricultural product jute does not get the expected attention and incentives given to the garments industries of the country.

"Jute is environment-friendly. But it does not get the incentives like the garment industries. I think it is urgently needed that jute should get that scope. To this end I have already given my directives," she said.

The prime minister said this while addressing a programme marking the National Textiles Day-2022 and inauguration of six new textile engineering colleges.

The programme was held at Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC), while she joined virtually from her official residence Ganabhaban.

The theme of National Textiles Day-2022 is 'Let's use local textile products, build golden Bangla'.

Hasina said that jute is very important agricultural product.

She mentioned that in the past jute brought foreign currencies for the country and there are now similar opportunities as due to climate change people are now very much aware about the environment.

"Jute is an environment-friendly product. It is possible to produce varieties of products from jute," she said.

She also said that researchers of the country are working hard on this and has been able to invent various types of products from jute.

"We should give more importance to jute," she said.

Textiles and Jute Minister Golam Dastagir Gazi, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) acting president Md. Shahidullah Azim and Textiles and Jute Secretary Md. Abdur Rauf also spoke at the event.

A documentary on jute products was also screened at the programme.

Textiles and Jute Minister Golam Dastagir Gazi, on behalf of the PM, handed over awards to 10 institutions and organisations for their contribution in the development of the textile sector.

Textiles and Jute Ministry established six new textile engineering colleges in different districts across the country.

The colleges are - Sheikh Rehana Textile Engineering College in Gopalganj, Shaheed Abdur Rob Serniabat Textile Institute at Gournadi of Barishal, Shaheed Kamaruzzaman Textile Institute at Manda in Naogaon, Begum Amina Mansoor Textile Engineering Institute at Kazipur of Sirajganj, Bhola Textile Institute in Bhola, and Sheikh Russell Textile Institute at Madarganj in Jamalpur.

Currently, there are six government textile engineering colleges located in Chattogram, Pabna, Noakhali, Jhenaidah, Barishal, and Rangpur. These are affiliated with the Bangladesh Textile University and managed by the Directorate of Textiles under the Ministry of Textiles and Jute.