The government has initiated an international tendering process to lease out the closed mills of Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC) to the private sector at the earliest possible time.
“Under the international notification, domestic and foreign entrepreneurs will get the opportunity to take lease. In this case, foreign direct investment (FDI) will be considered as a priority”, Textile and Jute Minister Golam Dastagir Gazi said while speaking at the monthly-coordination meeting of the ministry virtually on Wednesday.
The minister said jute farmers are now getting a fair price for raw jute as the value and demand of jute has increased across the world, according to BSS.
“In the current jute season, the average price of raw jute is up to Tk 3,000, which is about 50 per cent more than last year,” he added.
Dastagir said the workers who have been laid off in the privately-run mills will get job opportunities on priority basis.
“At the same time, these will create new employment opportunities for the able and skilled workers,” he added.
“All workers must be rehabilitated in phases. The contribution of the jute sector to the country’s economy would further increase due to the productivity and management strategies of private jute mills”, Dastagir said.
He said the arrears of wages of workers of 4 out of 25 mills (Jatiya, Khalishpur, Daulatpur and KFD) have been paid in August 2020.
It has been decided to repay the debts of 34,656 retired and permanent workers above two lakhs by issuing half-cash and half-quarterly profit-based savings certificates.
A total of 25 jute mills under the control of Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC) were declared closed on July 1, 2020.
