The slump in export trade has forced exporters to sell their raw jute to other countries at cheaper prices.

"India purchased our raw jute at 250 dollars a bale. But we are to sell it now to China at 230 dollars a bale, incurring loss", he said.

Ali said raw jute exporters were not in a position to repay bank loans of over Tk 200 crore because there are several thousand maunds of raw jute in warehouses in Khulna region which remained unsold following India's decision to stop import from Bangladesh.

He said jute mills in India stopped importing raw jute from end of last financial year.

The BJA convenor said that 9,46,401 bales of raw jute worth about Tk 366 crore were exported to India fom Khulna region during 2005-2006 financial year.

It came down to 5,18,000 bales worth Tk 202 crore during last financial year, he said.

"We have already placed before the government a nine-point demand which include compensation to recover from the financial loss and fresh bank loan facility to purchase raw jute", the BJA convenor said.

He sought immediate government intervention to save the export trade of raw jute by providing soft bank loan.

He said political unrest, delay in getting bank loan in due time, severe power outage, crisis of ships at Mongla port and high cost for transporting consignments from Mongla to Chittagong port for shipment were the reasons, among others, for incurring loss by raw jute exports during last financial year.