Speakers at a discussion yesterday urged the government to revive jute sector and not to pay any attention to suggestions of the World Bank (WB) in this regard. “The World Bank is advising the government to shut down jute mills in the country,” Salahuddin Ahmed, a former chairman of the Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation, told the discussion.

“When we are shutting down jute mills in our country, neighbouring India is increasing investment in jute industry sensing the high demand for environment-friendly jute goods in the global market in near future,” he further told the discussion on ‘importance of jute as eco-friendly agriculture and industrial product’, organised by Nagarik Sanghati, a non-governmental organisation.

Transparency International Bangladesh Trustee Board Chairman Prof Muzaffer Ahmed said although jute-made products have high demand, there has been no major research to revive the sector in the country. “After the independence, people within the jute sector and policymakers were responsible for the destruction of the sector,” he said referring to the present poor state of jute sector. “As some 3.5 crore people are involved with the jute sector, the government should undertake ealistic action plans to save the sector,” Ahmed said. He also called for reviving the sector before 2009 since the UN has declared the year as ‘International Natural Fibre Year’.

Professor Ashrafuzzaman Selim of Bangladesh Agriculture University presented a keynote paper in the discussion. ASM Atiqur Rahman, president of Nagarik Sanghati, also spoke. Multilateral donor agencies have come under fire for the pitiable condition of the country’s jute sector in recent days.

On September 13 at a function in Dhaka former agriculture minister Motia Chowdhury said the government destroyed the country’s jute and sugar industries by implementing the World Bank and IMF suggestions. “The finance and industries advisers are hell-bent on closing down jute and sugar factories one after another at the diktats of the multilateral donor agencies,” Motia, also Awami League (AL) leader, said. Finance Adviser Mirza Azizul Islam was also present at the function.

Responding to the accusation, the finance adviser brushed aside the allegation, saying, “I swear in the name of God that neither the World Bank nor IMF even uttered a single word to close down any mill.”

The caretaker government recently closed down four state-run jute mills – People’s Jute Mills in Khulna, Karnaphuli Jute Mills and Forat-Karnaphuli Carpet Factory in Chittagong, and Kaomi Jute Mills in Sirajganj. The government found the SoEs non-viable to run.