RAJSHAHI, Aug 18, 2023 (BSS) - State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar 
Alam, MP, has said the present government always remains beside the 
entrepreneurs for further bolstering the industrial sector.
 
He said entrepreneurship development is very important as it can generate 
employment for many people.

State Minister Alam made the observation while opening a common facility 
centre (CFC) at Kaluhati Shoe village under Charghat upazila in the district 
today as the chief guest.

The Kaluhati shoe village under Charghat upazila is famous for its footwear 
products among businessmen from different parts of the country. It has around 
65 shoe factories employing around 7,500 male and female workers. 
 
They supply shoes to most of the districts in the northern region. The 
factory owners are getting massive responses from all quarters which is a 
positive sign of furthermore expansion of the business. 

Once, 15 people from the village used to sell shows on bicycles in Rajshahi 
city and adjacent areas. Over the years, the mode of the business has changed 
and shoes are now being manufactured in local factories enhancing the 
distribution chain. 
 
At present, most of the families are solvent and self-reliant. Many families 
now live in brick-built houses with electricity. 
 

Many small shoe factories flourished in the village with financial and 
technical assistance from the SME Foundation. 
 
With Chairperson of SME Foundation Dr Masudur Rahman in the chair, the 
ceremony was addressed, among others, by Additional Secretary to the Ministry 
of Industries SM Alam, Managing Director of SME Foundation Mofizur Rahman and 
its General Manager Farzana Khan.

Reminding the youths State Minister Shahriar Alam said there is no more need 
for hunting job as entrepreneurship promotion has enormous potentialities to 
make them self-reliant. But, the youths have to be innovative and dedicated 
to quality work.

He termed the country's agriculture as the biggest ingredient of the future 
business and called for promoting entrepreneurship in agriculture side by 
side with building successful entrepreneurs.

At present, Alam said the CFC has been opened in the shoe village with 
assistance of SME Foundation and the CFC is the first in the country.

With the breakthrough of the venture in the village potentiality of the shoe 
industry will be expanded to a greater extent.

The state minister urged all the owners and workers to be more competent in 
taking forward the industry.