UNB, Khulna :
The state-owned jute mills in Khulna industrial belt are going through a severe financial crisis for various reasons, including inability to sell their produced goods.
Some jute mills including private ones are facing closure due to acute crisis of raw materials.
Terming the condition of the state-owned jute mills ‘pitiable’, sources concerned said that a process was going on to privatise the government-run Alim Jute Mills.
Besides the state-run mills, private Sonali Jute Mills and Mohsen Jute Mills have already been closed, they said, adding that Azax Jute Mills and Khulna Hardboard Mills were also limping.
Officials concerned said the process to shut down the jute mills began after the BNP-led four-party alliance government closed down Khulna Newsprint Mills on November 30, 2002.
On December 15 the same year, Khulna Harboard Mills was closed down.
However, being reopened on September 14, 2005, the mill started production in a limited scale with a few workers.
The mill is yet to come to a stable position.
Privately owned Mohsen Jute Mills of Shiromoni industrial estate has remained closed since it was laid off.
Though the lay-off period ended earlier, it was extended time and again.
Sonali Jute Mills, another private mill, of Mirerdanga Industrial Estate was put under lock and key throwing over its workers out of jobs.
The hapless workers alleged that the authorities kept the mill closed without making any announcement of the lay-off.
After coming to power in 2009, the Awami League government reopened two closed state-run jute mills-People’s Jute Mills (renamed Khalishpur Jute Mill) and Daulatpur Jute Mills.
But, due to unrest in the Middle East, the state-owned jute mills are still facing numerous difficulties.
Most mills cannot purchase raw materials and pay workers’ wages failing to sell large quantity of produced jute goods.
According to an estimate of March this year, jute goods worth Tk400 crore have remained unsold in the government mills.
Amid such situation, the authorities have stopped C shift in many mills creating uproar among workers.
Workers of both public and private jute mills have been carrying out movement to meet their various demands including elimination of discrimination.
Recently, workers of Mohsen Jute Mills, Sonali Jute Mills, Ajax Jute Mills, Noapara Jute Mills and two other jute mills have agitated in the city to meet their various demands including reopening of the mills and payment of their arrears dues.
