Rajshahi Textile Mills to be reborn as Barendra Rajshahi Textile

The Rajshahi Textile Mills Ltd (RTM), closed on 30 June, 2003 due to heavy losses, is set to be formally reactivated as Barendra Rajshahi Textile Limited (BRTL) this July in Rajshahi district.

The country's leading business conglomerate, PRAN-RFL Group, will relaunch the mills under a public-private partnership (PPP) with the Bangladesh Textile Mills Corporation (BTMC).

Established in 1975 at Sapura in Rajshahi on 26.53 acres of land, the mill commenced commercial production in 1979, according to BTMC sources.

As part of an initiative by the interim government to revive shuttered textile mills through lease agreements or PPPs, PRAN-RFL and BTMC recently signed an agreement to reactivate both Rajshahi Textile Mills Ltd in Rajshahi and R.R. Textile Mills Ltd at Sitakunda in Chattogram.

Speaking to the Daily Sun, PRAN-RFL officials said they had already hired 1,000 employees to restart operations at Rajshahi Textile Mills, with preliminary production beginning in February.

The factory will officially reopen in July, aiming to create 2,000 jobs initially and expand to 12,000 jobs over the next two years.

Meanwhile, work at R.R. Textile Mills Ltd remains at an early stage, with formal operations expected later.

New factory to be environment-friendly

At a programme in Rajshahi on Monday, Kamruzzaman Kamal, marketing director of PRAN-RFL Group, announced that the revamped factory will be transformed into the largest environmentally friendly industrial enterprise in North Bengal, operating entirely for export.

“We assumed responsibility for the factory in December, following the signing of the agreement in October last year. Within three months, PRAN-RFL initiated trial production. Full-scale operations are expected within two years,” Kamal said.

Highlighting the group’s commitment to regional development, he added, “We must move beyond the Dhaka-centric development approach for the broader progress of the country. This major industrial project in North Bengal will create thousands of employment opportunities and stimulate the local economy.”

Skill dev centre to train workers

Anisur Rahman, executive director of Multi-line Industries Limited, a PRAN-RFL sister concern, shared further updates: “We have already refurbished the abandoned sheds and begun small-scale production of shoes and bags, providing jobs to about 1,000 people from the Rajshahi region.”

He added that another 1,000 hires are underway, alongside plans to establish a Skill Development Centre at the factory to enhance the capabilities of local workers.

“One of the key goals of this investment is to curb migration to the capital by harnessing Rajshahi’s labour market,” he explained.

Rahman expressed optimism about the project’s future, stating, “If successful, this initiative will pave the way for larger investments and expansion in Rajshahi.”

Currently, PRAN-RFL Group operates two factories in Rajshahi — Barendra Industrial Park and PRAN Agro Limited — employing around 1,200 people.