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These jute mills are located in Khulna’s Khalishpur, Dighalia, and Atra industrial regions, and also in Jessore’s Noapara industrial area. Approximately 30,642 tons of jute goods are currently in stock at the nine state-owned jute mills located in Khulna and Jessore, having a market value is Tk270 crore.
Sources said the goods were sitting idle in the jute mills as exports to Sudan have been halted for a long time, but with the increase in demand in the local market, the number of idle jute goods are also decreasing.
Lack of capital is another reason why there are no stocks of raw jute in the mills, where industry insiders blame the inefficiency of the Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC) for lack of funds and fall in production.
Md Baniz Uddin Miah, liaison officer at BJMC Khulna office, said out of the 30,642 tons of idle jute goods, 8,130 tons are located in Crescent Jute Mills, 6,117 tons in Platinum Jute Mills, 6,594 tons in Khalishpur Jute Mills, and 978 tons in the Daulatpur Jute Mills, 1,116 tons in Star Jute Mills, 1,474 tons in Alim Jute Mills, 2,057 tons in Eastern Jute Mills, 3,396 tons in Jessore Jute Industry and 600 tons in Carpeting Jute Mills.
These jute mills are located in Khulna’s Khalishpur, Dighalia, and Atra industrial regions, and also in Jessore’s Noapara industrial area.
Sources also said the nine state-owned jute mills owe the workers 10-11 weeks wages, worth Tk44.22 crore, while officials have to be paid four months’ wages worth Tk9.84 crore, all totaling Tk54.7 crore.
Md Mizanur Rahman, director at the Khulna Department of Labour (DOL) office, said the Director-General at the DOL as well as the Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Employment have both been notified of the dire conditions, but lack of funds at BJMC has stalled the payment process.
The fund crisis has further been intensified by lack of raw jute available in the mills, he added.
Abdul Hamid Sardar, convener of CBA, non-CBA Sangram Parishad, said the workers had staged countless protests and organized strikes, demanding payment of all their wages and other dues, but to no avail so far.
(DT)
