Dhaka, May 17 (UNB) - Industries Minister Dilip Barua on Thursday said the government has been trying its best to make state-owned mills and factories profitable through product diversification and improving the quality.

He was speaking as the chief guest at the inaugural ceremony of an energy saving bulb manufacturing unit of Eastern Tubes Limited (ETL) at Tejgaon in the city.

Barua said the present grand alliance government did not hand over any state-owned factory to private sector though the past government sold out many factories under the Bangladesh Steel and Engineering Corporation (BSEC) to private sector at throwaway prices.

He urged the ETL officials to come forward with innovative ideas to turn the ETL into a modern factory.

Awami League Labour Affairs Secretary Habibur Rahman Siraj, BSEC chairman M Ataur Rahman, ETL Managing Director AKM Solaiman Haque, BSEC Workers Federation General Secretary Khan Sirajul Islam and Energy Pack Limited Director Nurul Aktar spoke on the occasion. ETL governing council chairman Zia Hassan Ibne Ahmed presided over the function.

The ETL has set up the energy bulb manufacturing plant spending Tk 1.59 crore.

The plant, which will use Chinese technology, is expected to produce around 3.5 lakh pieces of energy- saving bulbs annually meeting 10 percent of the total domestic demand.