The Bangladesh Jute Association yesterday strongly protested the ban on raw jute exports, saying the move would restrict overseas sales of the natural fibre and discourage growers.In a statement, the association said the government imposed the ban on January 18 without any consultation with them. “The government did not sit with us before imposing such a ban. It should be withdrawn soon for the sake of the jute industry,” said the statement.It said a huge amount of Bangla Tossa Rejection (BTR) and Bangla White Rejection (BWR) categories of jute—which are exported as raw jute—would remain unsold because of the ban. Bangladesh mostly produces high-quality jute and a small portion is of low quality, it said.Every year, we grade and export raw jute. After the grading, another segment of low quality raw jute remains uncut, which finds no buyers in Bangladesh.”“We have to export the uncut BTR and BWR categories of jute, to avoid chances of the jute remaining unsold and facing price cuts in the local market,” said the association. The ban would ultimately discourage jute growers from growing the natural fibre in the years to come, it said.Moreover, the association said, the relationship between buyers and local exporters will also face a blow, as the ban would restrict jute exports, which are supposed to be made under the letters of credit and shipment deals signed earlier.
