Govt urged to stop leasing out jute mills

Leaders of the People's Commission for Jute yesterday urged the government to cancel the newly adopted lease policy to save the jute sector of the country.
The move will destroy the jute economy, make thousands of workers unemployed and reduce national income, they said.
As part of a government plan to lease out all the mills consecutively, they said, tenders have already been invited to lease out seven jute mills.
The leaders organised a press conference in the capital to press home their demand.
In a written statement, Chairman of the commission Justice Ghulam Rabbani termed the lease policy unconstitutional and undemocratic.
"The state-owned jute industry will be destroyed and trade deficit will widen causing the national economy to slowdown,” he said.
He also demanded reopening of all the jute mills and uninterrupted power supply to the mills.
Abdul Khaleque, president of the Workers' Union of Kawmi Jute Mills Ltd, demanded immediate cancellation of the lease policy, threatening that workers of the seven jute mills would stage token hunger strikes at their respective mills on November 27 unless the tenders are withdrawn.