Adviser to the Ministry of Textiles and Jute Sk Bashir Uddin today inspected operations of the Daulatpur Jute Mills under the BJMC in Khulna. Photo: PID

DHAKA, Feb 10, 2025 (BSS) – Government to lease out the closed jute mills to private sector to pave the way for reopening those, said Adviser to the Ministry of Textiles and Jute Sk Bashir Uddin today.

“Steps have been taken to re-open the closed down jute mills in the country through leasing those out,” he told a media briefing after inspecting operations of the Daulatpur Jute Mills under the Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC) in Khulna.

In this connection, he said as leaseholders, businessmen are getting scope to invest in the closed down jute mills to reopen those and as a result fresh employment opportunities will be generated there.

Daulatpur Jute Mills are being operated under private management, according to a Commerce Ministry press release issued here.

Bashir, also the Commerce Adviser, said the closed down government textile mills in Kurigram were leased out to the private last week. It is expected that the process of leasing out three more mills would be completed by this week, he added. 

In case of running jute mills under government management, he said nothing became fruitful in the long-term except for incurring losses of a thousand crore Taka. Therefore, he said that there was a plan to lease out the government-owned jute and textile mills to private sector. 

To keep all the existing jute mills in the country running, about four million metric tons of jute is required annually, but the country's jute production is only 1.2 million metric tons. 

In addition, the annual production of jute worldwide is only 2.5 million metric tons. In that case, it is not realistic to keep so many mills running with jute alone. 

Therefore, the adviser said the conditions for leasing out jute mills to the private sector are being relaxed side by side opportunities are being provided to set up other industries along with jute-based industries. 

The Textiles and Jute Adviser further said that the Daulatpur Jute Mills in Khulna after reopening its operations under private initiative has so far created about 700 employment opportunities. Employment opportunities for 3000 more people would gradually be created there, he added. 

Mentioning that such successful initiatives and investments will open up the path for employments, the adviser said that efforts are on to move forward the mills under private initiative in a positive and profitable process by continuing the production of jute products and shoes simultaneously.

Such innovative initiatives are not as effective when implemented by the government, he opined. 
Responding to questions, the adviser further said that the existing syndicate in the market is not stronger than the government.

Bashir said the government has been strictly monitoring the stockpile and supply of various commodities in the country. Temporary crisis to some extent in the edible oil market would be over in a few days, he added. 

Deputy Commissioner of Khulna Mohammad Saiful Islam and officials of Daulatpur Jute Mills were present on the occasion.