He was accompanied by BJMC Director of Finance Harisuddin and Driector of Marketing Syed Abu Raithan.

According to BJMC Zonal Coordinator Shamim Ahmed, the present financial condition of jute mills, amount of loans so far taken from different banks and total amount of money to be needed for reopening the laid-off off mills will be discussed in detail at the meeting.

Shamim Ahmed told this correspondent that ways and means would be devised to reopen the laid-off mills, considering the growing demand for jute products at home and abroad.

This would require a huge amount of money to revitalise the jute mills by removing alleged corruption and politicisation of CBAs (collective bargaining agents), he said.

"Fate of the laid-off jute mills, however, depends on tomorrow's (Sunday) high level meeting", Shamim Ahmed said.

The situation arising out of refusal by workers to go on voluntary retirement without receiving full payment of their all arrears will also be discussed at the meeting.

Workers and employees of Cresent Jute Mills, Peoples Jute Mills, Star Jute Mills and Platinum Jubilee Jute Mills stopped work from April 15 and launched movement from April 16 demanding payment of arrear salary and wages s, violating emergency rules.

The four jute mills were laid off on April I0 following clashes between security forces and mill workers in Khalispur industrial belt.

The clashes left one worker dead and over 100 people injured. Abdur Rahman Munshi, a worker of Crescent Jute Mill, succumbed to injuries on April 21 while under treatment at the Khulna Medical College Hospital.

Seventy workers picked up during combing operation in labour colonies of the four Jute mills are still in Khulna district jail after being shown arrested under Emergency Power Act.

Lay-off of the mills was extended by 15 days more with effect from May 10 by an order of BJMC chairman which fuelled the tension among workers of Khulna industrial belt.