Dhaka, June 14 -- The government is placing special emphasis on cottage industries and handicrafts as a means of improving the socio-economic condition of poor and destitute women across the country, Social Welfare Minister Abu Zafar Md. Zahid Hossain told Parliament on Sunday.

Responding to a written question from treasury bench lawmaker Nilufar Chowdhury Moni (reserved women's seat-10), the minister said the Ministry of Social Welfare has been implementing a range of training and income-generating programmes aimed at helping disadvantaged women become self-reliant.

He informed the House that the Department of Social Services operates two socio-economic training centres at Mirpur in Dhaka and Shalbon in Rangpur, where women receive voc...