29 June 2020, Mon, 8:48

Government decides to shut down all state-owned jute mills; Secretary General condemns

Secretary General of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and former member of the parliament Professor Mia Golam Porwar has issued the following statement on 29 June 2020 protesting the government’s conspiracy to to stop operating the state-owned jute mills under the Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation on July 1 which would compel around 25 thousands workers to leave their workplace with a ‘golden handshake’.

Claiming to suffer from huge amount of recurring losses year after year, the government is mulling conspiracies to dismiss 25 thousand workers which would fell the families of 65 thousand workers as a whole into severe uncertainty. I am expressing deep concern in this regard. I am urging the government to repeal their decision that goes completely against the interest of the workers and the overall jute and textile industry.

There is a huge demand of Bangladeshi jute and jute-made products across the globe, which is popularly known as golden fiber. Despite that potential, the ongoing miserable condition has been created due to widespread corruption, irrational step from the government and wrong decisions. Government should come back from their destructive decision and they must resume the mills and factories in full swing. They should pay all the dues to the laborers as well.

When the entire world is suffering from the adverse impact of coronavirus, our government is taking decision to shut down factories which is major blow to the workers. The laborers are already struggling to manage food in this pandemic situation. Under such context, such decision of dismissing workers through golden handshake process is immoral and regrettable.

I am urging the authorities concerned to allocate sufficient money for jute and textile sectors to set up modern machineries and also for overhauling and procuring quality jutes.