Govt takes initiative to reopen jute mills, create 50,000 jobs

The government has taken an initiative to reopen the long-closed jute mills of the Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC) in phases.

Stakeholders said once the initiative is implemented, employment opportunities will be created for about 50,000 people across the country.

Production has already commenced in nine of the seventeen leased-out jute mills, creating jobs for around 9,500 people.

In line with the government's election pledges to boost employment, attract investment, and ensure the effective use of idle assets, initiatives have been taken to resume different industries, including closed jute mills.
 
As part of this process, the leasing of three more BJMC-owned jute mills to the private sector is underway. These mills are MM Jute Mills in Sitakunda (Chattogram), KFD Limited in Rangunia, and Cooperative Jute Mills in Palash (Narsingdi).

Officials at the Ministry of Textiles and Jute said the government has recently signed lease agreements with two companies for three state-owned jute mills.

Among them, the PRAN-RFL Group has secured the lease for Jatiya Jute Mills Limited in Sirajganj and Star Jute Mills Limited in Khulna, while the HAMKO Group has got the lease for Platinum Jubilee Jute Mills Limited in Khulna.

Under the deals, these three long-closed mills will be reopened under private management. Once operational, these mills are expected to create employment opportunities for at least 11,629 people and attract investments totaling Taka 619 crore. The total annual revenue is projected to reach around Taka 1,175 crore.