The committee at its fourth meeting held on Sunday has also stressed appropriate policies to increase domestic consumption of jute products along with responsible and efficient management of assets of the public sector mills.

The meeting presided over by Dr Quazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad, president of Bangladesh Unnayan Parishad and convener of the committee, reiterated the commitment of the committee to work with the government to implement any strategic intervention based on the national consensus to protect and promote the jute sector.

Speakers at the meeting also called upon the government not to close any jute mills without undertaking a comprehensive assessment of the sector to device short and long-term strategies of protecting and promoting the national jute economy.

Besides, they put emphasis on launching a media campaign to bring in public concerns at policy spheres with regard to jute sector.

To device any national strategy, the committee members placed a three-fold framework of consideration involving global demand scenario, national supply capacities and the significance of jute in national economy.

The committee has been working since June 25, 2007 as the national forum to ensure coordination and synergy among all the committees, commissions and initiatives regarding jute sector.