The garment waste (jhut) business has fuelled labour unrest in the ready-made garment sector as the informal business involves a lot of political and economic influence, according to industry experts, entrepreneurs, and development partners.
Proper regulatory policies could resolve the unrest, promote waste circularity, and create millions of jobs in recycling, while reducing Bangladesh reliance on imports, they noted.
These observations were shared at a roundtable titled "Switch to Upstream Circularity: Path Towards Circularity in Bangladesh RMG Industry," held today (12 November) at InterContinental Dhaka.
Shipping Adviser Brig General (rtd) M Sakhawat Hossain today said that Bhairob river port would be upgraded into an international-standard port with the financial assistance of the World Bank.
"As Bhairob River Port is one of the oldest and most significant ports of the country, the government has taken initiatives to upgrade the port into an international-standard port," he said while inspecting the upgrade activities of the port this morning.
The upgrade work of the port would begin within a few days and it would be completed within 2025, he said, adding that upon the completion of the upgrade work of the port, it would be possible to prevent erosion of the Meghna River apart from protecting the river.
Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr Ahsan H Mansur has said that it will take an additional eight months to bring inflation to a targeted level under current economic measures.
He shared this projection during his address at the Bangladesh Economic Conference, organised by Bonik Barta, on Monday in Dhaka.
The Governor reassured that the central bank has refrained from printing money over the last three months to avoid inflationary pressures, a step he noted as essential for economic stability.
A group of students at Dhaka University staged a protest today, demanding the immediate removal of those who they referred to as “allies of the fascist” appointed as new advisers. The protesters, gathered at a human chain in front of the Raju Sculpture, sharply criticized the new advisers appointments.
Hasnat Abdullah, convenor of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, voiced the outrage of the students, recalling the sacrifices made during the recent uprising. "Students shed their blood during the fight for freedom, yet these appointments were made without consulting us," he declared. “This is a mockery of the students, citizens, and workers. If this continues, you will find yourselves in trouble. Then you will call for students to take to the streets. But this will not last long—we will not tolerate the rehabilitation of those who have thrived under fascism in any form,” Hasnat said.
He also demanded transparency in the selection process, questioning the credentials of those appointed. “If these appointments were made as part of some compromise, you are deceiving the students and the public,” he warned.