UNB, Sylhet :
No tangible steps have been visible yet from the government side to reopen Sylhet Textile Mills though stunning fourteen years have already gone by since the closure of the state-owned industrial unit. Before the 2008 national election, Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith pledged its reopening, once he wins; but the industrial unit, shut in 2001, is still lying almost abandoned only to see its machineries going rusty.
Sources said the BNP government after assuming power in 1991 first closed down the mills which the Awami League government reopened in 1996 soon after taking office.
Later, the mills met the same fate in 2001. Despite the election pledge, the factory has not been reopened yet though Muhith is running office as the finance minister for two straight times.
The process also got stuck halfway though the Privatization
Commission meanwhile took an initiative to hand over ownership of the
mills to private sector.
Owing to the closure, machineries worth several crores of taka at the factory are getting damaged and it is also alleged that many of the equipment here have got stolen during the period.
At present, the factory compound is being used as the headquarters of Rapid Action Battalion-9.
Sources said financed by France, Asian Development Bank and World Bank, Sylhet Textile Mills was established on 28.81 acres of land in Islampur area of Sadar upazila in 1980-81.
The mills then went into product ion in 1983 on an experimental basis.
At the very beginning, the mills gained some profit but after a few years it had to count losses due to mismanagement.
For constant losses, the government shut down the mills in 1991.
A number of workers were forced into retirement while some 773 workers were in wait for reopening of the factory.
In 1996, the authorities restarted production of the mill which was again closed in 2001. On June 30, 2003, the authorities of Bangladesh Textile Mills Corporation sent the remaining 773 workers into retirement without paying their dues.
Later, the authorities disbursed the dues in the face of movement of the workers but their provident fund amounting to Tk7 crore remained unpaired.
Despite assurance of reopening from some labour leaders, the mills still remains non-functioning.
The workers submitted a memorandum to Finance Minister AMA Muhith and the local lawmaker in this regard but no steps have been taken yet for resumption of its production.
During the tenure of the BNP-led four-party alliance government, the authorities took an initiative to sell out the mills.
The textile mills has a loan amounting to Tk 94.87 crore.
Of this, Tk58.82 crore is capital loan while Tk 36.5 crore is project loan.
Of the project loan, Tk 23.53 is from France while Tk 5.11 crore from ADB, Tk 15.79 lakh from IDA and Tk7.26 crore from share equity, sources said.
No tangible steps have been visible yet from the government side to reopen Sylhet Textile Mills though stunning fourteen years have already gone by since the closure of the state-owned industrial unit. Before the 2008 national election, Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith pledged its reopening, once he wins; but the industrial unit, shut in 2001, is still lying almost abandoned only to see its machineries going rusty.
Sources said the BNP government after assuming power in 1991 first closed down the mills which the Awami League government reopened in 1996 soon after taking office.
Later, the mills met the same fate in 2001. Despite the election pledge, the factory has not been reopened yet though Muhith is running office as the finance minister for two straight times.
The process also got stuck halfway though the Privatization
Commission meanwhile took an initiative to hand over ownership of the
mills to private sector.
Owing to the closure, machineries worth several crores of taka at the factory are getting damaged and it is also alleged that many of the equipment here have got stolen during the period.
At present, the factory compound is being used as the headquarters of Rapid Action Battalion-9.
Sources said financed by France, Asian Development Bank and World Bank, Sylhet Textile Mills was established on 28.81 acres of land in Islampur area of Sadar upazila in 1980-81.
The mills then went into product ion in 1983 on an experimental basis.
At the very beginning, the mills gained some profit but after a few years it had to count losses due to mismanagement.
For constant losses, the government shut down the mills in 1991.
A number of workers were forced into retirement while some 773 workers were in wait for reopening of the factory.
In 1996, the authorities restarted production of the mill which was again closed in 2001. On June 30, 2003, the authorities of Bangladesh Textile Mills Corporation sent the remaining 773 workers into retirement without paying their dues.
Later, the authorities disbursed the dues in the face of movement of the workers but their provident fund amounting to Tk7 crore remained unpaired.
Despite assurance of reopening from some labour leaders, the mills still remains non-functioning.
The workers submitted a memorandum to Finance Minister AMA Muhith and the local lawmaker in this regard but no steps have been taken yet for resumption of its production.
During the tenure of the BNP-led four-party alliance government, the authorities took an initiative to sell out the mills.
The textile mills has a loan amounting to Tk 94.87 crore.
Of this, Tk58.82 crore is capital loan while Tk 36.5 crore is project loan.
Of the project loan, Tk 23.53 is from France while Tk 5.11 crore from ADB, Tk 15.79 lakh from IDA and Tk7.26 crore from share equity, sources said.
