A large number of workers and employees of state-owned jute mills at the Khulna-Jessore industrial belt, along with their families, formed a human chain, on the third day Tuesday of their five-day programme demanding revival of the jute industry. From 10 am till 11am the workers gathered in front of Crescent and Platinum Jubilee Jute mills at Khalishpur industrial belt under the banner of CBA and non-CBA Oiykko Parishad. Later at 11.30am, a rally was held there with convenor of Oiykko Parishad Md Sohrab Hossain in the chair. The workers laid out a five-point demand which include adequate allocation of funds for saving jute mills from being ruined, implementation of the mandatory packaging act, formation of wages commission board, payment of all arrears including twenty percent dearness allowance and removal of all corrupt officials from the administration of the state-owned jute mills. Sohrab said nearly 50,000 workers and employees of nine state-owned jute mills of Khulna-Jessore industrial belt were facing financial difficulties and they are not getting wages and salaries due to fund shortage. A huge quantity of jute goods is still lying unsold at warehouses of the jute mills, he said. He urged the government to allocate adequate funds for enabling the mills to reach daily production targets. He blamed the authorities of BJMC for creating the present situation at the state-owned jute mills. The rally was addressed by joint conveor of Oiykko Parishad Md Shah Alam, labour leaders SM Zakir Hossain, Molla Abdur Rashid and Khalilur Rahman. When contacted, the Coordinator of Khulna Zonal Office of BJMC Md Rafiqul Islam told New Age the present crisis would be resolved when adequate funds are allocated for payment of arrears and dearness allowance and purchase of raw materials for reaching production targets. He admitted that export of jute goods has gone down.
