The Bangladesh Army will build a modern arms and military equipment factory on the site of the shuttered Jalil Textile Mills in Fouzdarhat, Chattogram, army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman said on 27th August, Thursday, marking a new industrial chapter for a facility once central to the country’s textile sector.
The government formally transferred 54.99 acres of land under the state-run Bangladesh Textiles Mills Corporation to the army at a symbolic price, following a signed agreement establishing the Bangladesh Ordnance Factory (BOF) at the site, General Waker said during a handover ceremony. Read Here
The new plant would help meet domestic demand for weapons and could generate significant foreign exchange through arms exports, he said, adding that several countries have shown interest in Bangladeshi-made military equipment. He described the initiative as part of broader efforts to bolster the country’s strategic security and thanked Prime Minister Tarique Rahman for facilitating the land transfer.
“This is not only about meeting the country’s needs; the facility will also be developed as an export-oriented industry,” General Waker said, noting that removing bureaucratic hurdles could unlock substantial export earnings.
The army chief said the hilly Fouzdarhat site was chosen partly for its proximity to Chattogram Port, which would support the production and shipment of sophisticated military equipment.
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Textiles and Jute Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir, who attended as chief guest, said global defence manufacturing had shifted rapidly toward lower-cost technology such as drones, now in high international demand, and pledged government support for arms and defence exports going forward.
Prime Minister’s Defence Adviser Brig. Gen. (retd) AKM Shamsul Islam and Quartermaster General Lieutenant General Mohammad Shaheenul Haque also attended the ceremony. Following the signing, officials toured the abandoned mill premises and planted trees on the grounds.
Jalil Textile Mills began operations in 1961 on roughly 55 acres, producing yarn and fabric for decades before mounting losses forced its closure in 2004. The site had remained idle for more than two decades before authorities completed the procedures needed to hand it over to the army.
The conversion adds to a broader pattern of Bangladesh repurposing long-closed, state-owned textile assets, underscoring the structural decline of the country’s public-sector mill network even as its private, export-oriented garment industry continues to expand.