They include 180 workers of Crescent Jute Mills, 121 of Platinum Jubilee Jute Mills and 85 of Star Jute Mills. The termination notices were issued Monday night on orders from the chairman of Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC), sources in the mills said.

With the 386 workers, the number terminated employees of the of four state owned laid-off mills in Khulna industrial belt now stands at 1,445, they said.

The four jute mills were laid-off last month in the face of workers agitation for arrear salaries. Later, sacking sections of the mills were reopened.

Issuance of termination notices began in the last week of last month when workers in sacking sections of the jute mills decided to stay away from work without receiving payment of their arrear wages and lay-off benefits.

General Manager of Platinum Jubilee Jute Mill Boni Israil Shelly and General Manager of Star Jute mill Jahangir Alam said that BJMC had no alternative to terminating 'excess' permanent workers to lessen production cost.

Convener of Patkal Sangram Parishad Sarder Motaharuddin termed the BJMC move 'preparation to close down all jute mills on the plea of fund crisis'.