Revitalising the jute sector
Once upon a time jute was called the ‘golden fiber’ of Bangladesh. And this sector used to offer employment to a large population directly or indirectly throughout the year. Jute industry is a labour intensive one. But the sorry tale is that, jute-based industries in Bangladesh are now facing acute problems and are, in fact, heading towards an unnatural death. It is true for all units both in the public and private sector.
Performance and efficiency of the jute mills should be improved by close monitoring and modernization of management system. BMR of individual sick unit is an urgent need. Failure will only closedown the door of generating employment ¾ both in and out of the mills ¾ that jute sector has been offering over the decades, better say, generations in the country.
The government’s new jute policy is expected to focus on increasing on field jute production capacity, diversification of products aiming to expand export earnings. A rational wage policy should immediately be adopted so that it increases the productivity ratio which is extremely low at world standard. Jute products are environment friendly and people are curious of using it.
So, both the governmental and the private sector stakeholders should take initiative to revive this economically important industrial sub-sector aiming to get back its past glory and jute be called ‘golden fibre’ once again.
Anindita Dey
Student, Department of Business Administration,
Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet
