Reopen KNM, decision to shut it was unwise

The mill can produce 60 tonnes of newsprint a day if this small amount is invested initially, they said and called for a united movement by people in the region to save assets of Khulna from being looted.

The roundtable, held at the Dainik Purbanchal Dialogue Centre at Iqbalnagar, was presided over by Alhaj Liaquat Ali, Editor of the daily.

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It was participated by leaders of all political parties including lawmakers from BNP, Awami League and Jamaat-e-Islami, local heads of NGOs and some socio-cultural organisations, prominent labour leaders, secretary general of Greater Khulna Development Action Coordination Committee and senior journalists.

Nizamur Rahman Lalu, president of now defunct Khulna Newsprint Mill Employees Union, presented the keynote paper at the discussion.

Appreciating holding of a discussion on a sensitive but very important issue, the speakers regretted that KNM was closed on November 30, 2002, throwing over 3,000 workers and employees out of jobs and their families to abject poverty.

Biggest in Asia, Khulna Newsprint Mill always played an important role in economic development of south-western region of the country and earned an enviable reputation in world market for its high quality product, they said.

The present government's decision to close the newsprint mill was undoubtedly a blunder. Still it can resume production on commercial basis and reinstate the retrenched workers and employees, the speakers observed.

Once re-started, it can produce newsprint which can compete in world market and earn huge amounts of foreign exchange for the country. Newspapers in the country will also be able to buy newsprint at cheaper prices.

They claimed that KNM can run profitably. It can earn at least Tk 10 crore revenue by producing 48,000 tonnes of newsprint annually, they claimed.

Besides, the 25 MW power plant of the mill can earn revenue after meeting its electricity requirement if it is put into operation again, they said.