The government expects all state-owned jute mills to resume production under private management by December this year, Textiles and Jute Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir said.
Production at all 25 jute mills under the Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC) was suspended following a government decision in 2020. Initiatives have been taken to restart the mills in line with the current government's election manifesto, he said while responding to a question from Mohammad Moslehuddin Farid MP during the question-and-answer session at the parliament today.
So far, 14 jute mills have been leased out for operation under private management, of which nine have already resumed production, headed.
"The process of leasing the remaining mills is ongoing in phases. It is expected that it will be possible to start production at these mills under private management by December 2026," the minister said.
He also said a plan has been taken to establish an Inland Container Depot under BJMC management at MM Jute Mills Ltd.
As Latif Bawani Jute Mills Ltd and Karim Jute Mills Ltd fall within the jurisdiction of Dhaka South City Corporation, the process of declaring them industrial zones through the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) is underway.
Of the three remaining mills that have not been leased out, Amin Jute Mill falls under the city corporation area, while the other two have been kept out of the leasing process due to litigation.
The minister also informed parliament that Bangladesh has 266 licensed jute mills, including 25 state-owned mills under BJMC. Of these, 193 are operational while 73 remain closed.
He added that the country has 1,805 yarn, weaving and dyeing-finishing mills, comprising 25 state-owned textile mills under the Bangladesh Textile Mills Corporation (BTMC) and around 1,780 private-sector mills that are members of the Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA).
The minister said the government is also working to revive closed state-owned textile mills through public-private partnerships (PPP). As part of the initiative, 15 of the 25 BTMC mills are being brought under PPP arrangements.
Agreements have been signed and handover formalities completed for four mills, while production has already resumed at two. Efforts are underway to bring another 11 closed textile mills back into operation through private industrialists under the PPP model.
