Jute bags’ mandatory use not being ensured: Jute minister
Textiles and Jute Minister Golam Dastagir Gazi yesterday directed the Department of Jute to ensure the use of jute bags in packaging, saying that it was not happening in spite of the enactment of the Mandatory Jute Packaging Act 2010.
A large number of businesses are packaging commodities using plastic bags amidst a lack of enforcement by the authorities, he said.
For this, the minister directed the Department of Jute to strengthen its campaigns so that everybody uses jute bags instead of environmentally harmful plastic bags.
He made these comments while presiding over a programme organised by the Ministry of Textiles and Jute at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in Dhaka marking National Jute Day.
Environment-friendly jute will play a supporting role to build a "Smart Bangladesh" and have an important contribution to the nation's economy, said Gazi.
He said the growth of the jute sector should be ensured under the direct supervision, direction and suggestions of the prime minister.
"We have to utilise the demand for environment-friendly jute and jute products across the world in the current sustainable development era."
Bangladeshi scientists have decoded the jute genome sequencing that further simplified the development and research of jute.
"We expect more sincere research from our jute researchers," the minister said.
He said the government was not only focusing on the production of jute but also on associated products.
The Jute Diversification Promotion Centre is working towards coming up with new inventions and expansion of the jute sector. It is playing an ancillary role to communicate with manufacturers, sellers, users and foreigners.
In Bangladesh, many are producing fantastic, modern and smart jute-made products, most of which are being exported, Gazi said.
The minister said charcoal has presented another prospect for the jute sector and has a lot of potential in the current market.
"We are making charcoal with the help of jute sticks and earning dollars by exporting it," he said.
Various assistance is being provided to increase the export of jute products. The production of jute has multiplied in recent years.
The minister said a project has been taken up to meet the dearth of jute seeds although solely that was not enough.
"For this, the jute ministry is working together with the agriculture ministry to increase the production of jute seeds."
Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun, State Minister for Labour and Employment Monnujan Sufian and Textiles and Jute Secretary Md Abdur Rouf were present.
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