All 7 BJMC mills in Khulna face closure for want of jute
Traders refuse to supply jute as Tk 50cr arrear dues not paid
All the seven state-owned jute mills in Khulna-Jessore industrial belt are virtually on verge of closure as jute traders have stopped supply of raw jute on credit and non-payment of outstanding bills amounting to about Tk 50 crore.
According to sources at Bangladesh Jute Mill Corporation (BJMC) zonal office, daily production of the seven mills have fallen to 109.60 metric tonnes from 269 metric tonnes due to crisis of raw jute.
None of these seven jute mills in the Khulna-Jessore industrial belt has stock of raw jute for more than four days from Sunday to continue production, they said.
BJMC allocated Tk 165 lakh on August 12 to the seven mills to buy raw jute, which is a scanty amount to meet the need, the sources said.
Only 2,259 quintals of jute goods were produced against the production target of 8,10,538 quintals in the seven mills during current financial year, they said.
As a result, authorities of the mills are failing to pay wages to workers regularly.
Because, there has so far been no indication that the jute mills would at all be able to reach production target due to financial crisis and stoppage of raw jute supply, said Project Director Monowar Hossain of Alim Jute Mills.
General secretary of Khulna Jute Traders Association Shamim Ahmed said they would not resume supply of raw jute to mills until full payment of outstanding bills is made.
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