The government is going to honour 11 individuals and business entities this year for their best performance in production and export of jute and jute goods.
Besides, the government will decorate seven jute-sector stakeholders with crests.
Textiles and Jute Minister Golam Dastagir Gazi disclosed this at a press briefing at the conference room of the ministry on Thursday saying the 11 individuals and organisations will be honoured for the excellence they could show in fulfilling the government's development targets in the jute sector.
He added the awarding ceremony will be held at Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the capital on March 6 marking the National Jute Day, with the theme "Golden Fibre, Golden Country: Environment-Friendly Bangladesh" .
The minister said apart from this there will also be held another event from March 6 to 8 to display diversified jute products at JDPC in the city.
Textiles and Jute Secretary Md Abdur Rouf and other high officials of the ministry were present, among others.
Mr Gazi said due to strict implementation of the Mandatory Jute Packaging Act -2020, the demand for using jute goods locally was increasing day by day.
He added the demand for jute goods in the international market was also increasing for their environment-friendly nature.
Besides, process is also underway to lease out remaining public jute mills.
"The Expression of Interests (EOI) has been called by the ministry for leasing out the rest 13 jute mills," he said.
"We (the government) are hopeful that we will be able to reopen some closed jute mills (public) on lease basis where workers who had worked in the mills before closure will get priority to get job that will create new employment," he said.
The government honours individuals and business entities every year for their illustrious performance in research on jute, reducing dependency on imported jute seeds and increasing jute production and jute goods export.
The individuals and organisations selected to be honoured are Dr HM Jakir Hossain, chief scientific officer of Bangladesh Jute Research Institute and Md Sahanur Alam Santu from Mokarempur of Bheramara in Khustia (under best jute seeds produce category); Md Abdur Razzak from Durgapur of Sujanagar in Pabna ( under best jute producer category), Sushil Kumar Das, managing director of Ranu Agro Industries Ltd, Kalabagan, Kamarpukur, Syedur, Nilphamari ( under best jute mills for producing jute goods category), Razzak Jute Industries Ltd, Uttara, Dhaka (under the best jute goods export category), Akij Jute Mills Ltd, Gulshan Link Road, Tejgaon, Dhaka (under the best jute mills for producing jute yarn category), Karim Jute Spinners Ltd, Mohakhali, Dhaka (under the best organistaion for exporting jute yarn category), Sheikh Basir Uddin, managing director, Janata Jute Mills Ltd, Kamal Ataurk Avenu, Banani Dhaka (under the best organisation for producing diversified jute goods category), Md Tauhid Bin Abdus Salam, proprietor of Classical Handmade Products BD Ltd, (under the best entity for diversified jute goods export category), Kohinoor Yasmin, chief executive officer, Tarango, Mazar Road, Mirpur, Dhaka (under the best woman entrepreneur for producing jute goods category) and Md Abdul Hakim, proprietor of Golden Jute Product, Savar, Dhaka (under the best entrepreneur for producing jute goods category).
