Industries closed after August 5 will reopen: Finance Minister

❐ Special Correspondent

Finance Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury has said that all industries in the country that were closed after August 5, 2024, will be reopened.

He made this information in response to a question from reporters after a meeting with the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) at the Prime Minister’s Office on Saturday, April 4.

The Finance Minister said, “The industries that were closed after August 5 will be reopened.”

The Finance Minister also said that the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank has assured financial assistance to address the energy crisis.

The minister said, “The fuel crisis has put pressure on the economy not only of Bangladesh but also of all countries in the world. To address this, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank has assured assistance in the development budget. In addition, the organization will provide financial assistance to environmental projects that are underway in the country.”

Meanwhile, regarding the Prime Minister’s meeting with the country’s top businessmen, he said that the businessmen informed the Prime Minister about several problems. Some of the problems have been resolved immediately, while the rest will be resolved in phases.

The Finance Minister is holding an emergency meeting at the Secretariat on the same afternoon to discuss the import of diesel and octane. A decision to import 1.7 million tons of fuel oil may be made there.

It is worth noting that in July-August 2024, agitating students took to the streets in support of all opposition parties to topple the Awami League government. They were accompanied by notorious criminals and terrorists. Numerous large factories and export-oriented industrial establishments were attacked, arsoned, and looted and destroyed under the tag of Awami League supporters.

During Dr. Yunus’s interim government, factories of numerous industrial groups were closed down under the pretext of attacking the Awami League and the movement, and the owners were arrested in fake cases and sent to prison. This had an adverse effect on the country’s economy. At least 400 factories were closed down. Half a crore people involved in various industries and indirect trade were unemployed.

Added to this are the closure of LCs, the halt in the import of raw materials, and the energy crisis. Altogether, the country’s economy fell into a severe crisis after August 5, 2024. Which has not yet been overcome.