B Mirror Report:All 25 state-owned jute mills in the country are currently closed, but the government has taken initiatives to reopen seven of them soon, officials said on Thursday.
The information was disclosed at a press conference organised by the Ministry of Textiles and Jute at the Secretariat, where State Minister for Textiles and Jute Md. Shariful Alam and ministry Secretary Bilquis Jahan Rimi briefed reporters.
The briefing was arranged ahead of the observance of National Jute Day 2026. On the occasion, President Mohammad Shahabuddin is expected to inaugurate the official programmes virtually on March 6.
Secretary Bilquis Jahan Rimi said there are 25 jute mills under the Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC), all of which are currently shut down. Among them, 14 mills have already been brought under long-term lease arrangements, while the process is underway to reopen seven others.
Under the new initiative, the mills will be operated under private management rather than direct government control.
She also said the government is placing emphasis on promoting jute bags as an alternative to plastic products. In collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and other related agencies working on climate issues, steps are being taken to expand the use of jute-based bags.
Recently, jute and jute-cotton bags were used at the Dhaka International Trade Fair, and subsidised sales of such bags are being introduced in different places to encourage public use.
State Minister Shariful Alam said the government is also considering the use of jute bags in various public assistance programmes. Discussions are underway with the Ministry of Food and the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief to distribute relief goods such as rice and lentils in jute bags.
He further said the government plans to reduce the export of raw jute and instead focus on producing and exporting value-added jute products. To encourage entrepreneurs, initiatives will be taken to provide awards, certificates and incentives in different categories.
Under the government’s 180-day action plan, a comprehensive strategy will also be adopted to remove barriers in the jute sector and boost production and exports.
Regarding the timeline for reopening the mills, the state minister said it is not yet possible to specify a definite timeframe, but efforts are underway to reopen them quickly in line with the government’s commitments.
He added that due to long-standing financial losses in the past, the government has decided to hand over mill operations to private management instead of running them directly.
Meanwhile, Secretary Bilquis Jahan Rimi said the project to produce the so-called “golden bag” from jute has been suspended. Plans for large-scale production were cancelled as some of the chemicals used in the process could be harmful to the environment.
