Land Minister urges BRAC to revive lost glory of Rajshahi silk

Land Minister Mizanur Rahman Minu has called upon BRAC, the private development organisation, to come forward to restore the lost glory of the heritage 'Rajshahi silk' industry.

He made the call while speaking as the chief guest at the launch of BRAC's Annual Report 2025 on Friday, May 15.

The golden fibre jute tradition of Rajshahi has survived to some extent, but the silk industry is on the verge of extinction, the minister said. Utilising BRAC's organisational capacity, financial institutions and social enterprises—particularly BRAC Bank, bKash, Aarong, BRAC Finance and Guardian Life Insurance—it is possible to revive this industry, he added.

Minu said BRAC should take responsibility for making Rajshahi silk globally recognised once again.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman regards BRAC's activities with respect and expects closer collaboration with the government in healthcare and employment generation, the land minister claimed.

While BRAC works globally, it is important for the organisation to play a more active role in the development of Rajshahi in particular, he said.

Various proposals for the development of the Barind region in Rajshahi were also raised at the event, including an agro-based export processing zone, establishing cold storage facilities, research into solving viral issues in betel leaf farming, addressing groundwater crises and expanding solar power projects.

BRAC Senior Director K A M Morshed said BRAC operates as an independent development organisation, making its own decisions to work for the needs of the country and its people, with Bangladesh remaining their top priority.

Government officials from Rajshahi division, senior representatives of law enforcement agencies, academics and professionals were present at the event.

BRAC reported that in 2025, over 20,000 ultra-poor families in Rajshahi division received assistance, with more than 8,000 of them lifting themselves out of poverty. Additionally, hundreds of thousands of people have benefited from services in health, education, climate resilience and employment sectors.