RANGPUR, Dec 29, 2024 (BSS) - The decision of the interim government to reopen six sugar mills is a historic event and a victory and this victory must be consolidated for the greater national interest and the welfare of sugarcane farmers.
 
Members of the Sugar Mills Reopening Task Force Committee (SMRTFC) expressed the view today in a press conference arranged at a community centre here to inform people about the decision of reopening of six closed sugar mills.

Central and local leaders of Bangladesh Labor and Employees Federation (BLEF) and Jatiya Sramik Karmachari Sangram Parishad (JSKSP) and Sugarcane Farmers' and Sugarcane Rakhya Sangram Parishad (SFSRSP) were present at the press conference.

 
Joint convener of Members of SMRTFC and president of JSKSP Abdullah Al Kafi Ratan read out a written statement in the press conference on the issue.
 
SMRTFC member and central committee vice-president of BLEF Manas Nandi and SMRTFC member Altaf Hossain answered different questions asked by the journalists in the press conference.
 
The written statement said that the threshing of six of the 15 state-run sugar mills was suspended or closed through a notification issued on December 1, 2020.
 
After the fall of the fascist Sheikh Hasina regime on August 5, the JSKSP sent a memorandum to the Industrial Adviser of the interim government on August 20 demanding the opening of the six closed sugar mills.

Subsequently, a task force was formed with government officials and private representatives in response to the demand.
 
In the wake of the task force report, the government decided to withdraw the moratorium on threshing on December 1, 2020 and reopen closed sugar mills in three phases.

In the first phase, the interim government took the historic decision to reopen Shyampur Sugar Mills Limited in Rangpur and Setabganj Sugar Mills Limited in Dinajpur.
 
"In the future, people from all walks of life must stand against all the conspiracies of any government, World Bank or imperialist group to close industrial factories," the written statement said.
 
In addition, the move to build sufficient new sugar mills, jute mills and other industrial factories to meet the country's sugar demand and produce various industrial products within the country should be strengthened, the statement added.
 
CPB Rangpur district president Comrade Shahadat Hossain, its general secretary Kafi Sarker, Rangpur district convener of SFSRSP Anwar Hossain Bablu, BLEF central committee general secretary Masud Reza, Garments Sramik Federation general secretary Raju Ahmed, BSD (Marxist) Rangpur district general secretary Ahsanul Arefin Teetoo, among others, were present.