The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Speakers at a view exchange meeting yesterday said that efforts of puting the last nail in the coffin of jute industry is going on and this will be destructive for the national economy.

They said the so-called reform of the jute sector and leasing-out of the eight jute mills will be suicidal.

Peoples Commission on Jute and Jute Industry organised the view exchange meeting with Justice Mohammad Golam Rabbani in the chair.

Under the 1993 agreement with the World Bank the government has already earmarked eight jute mills to lease out The government also decided to shutdown four jute mills, which will render nearly 21 thousand workers jobless.

Engineer Sheikh Mohammad Shahidullah, Mamunur Rashid, Prof MM Akash, Prof Dr Shamsul Alam, Economist Dr Abul Barkat, Shah Alam, among others, spoke on the occasion.

Justice Mohammad Golam Rabbani said natural fibre jute can be 'diamond of future', if proper policy and effective techniques were followed.

He said state-owned jute mills would be abolished within the next 2 to 3 years if the ongoing reform of jute sector continues.

Terming the agreement with the World Bank in 1993 damaging for the jute sector Justice Rabbani said implementation of the accord leads the industry to destruction.

He put forward some proposals to save the jute industry from damaging that includes cancellation of jute sector reform programme, cancellation of leasing-out of eight jute mills, cancellation of the jute sector reforms agreement of 1993 and measures taken under the agreement

Engineer Sheikh Mohammad Shahidullah said the World Bank's collaborators in Bangladesh did not give scope to build up national capital in Bangladesh, which was built up in neighbouring India.

He said the collaborators are not helping industrialisation in Bangladesh.

"Capitalists in Bangladesh know how to plunder, they do not understand production, he said.

Shahidullah said it is a proved reality that Bangladesh's jute sector cannot run under private sector.

"We have to unite people to save the jute sector," he added.

Dr Abul Barkat said economic development and prosperities of Bangladesh could stand on jute economy if it can be established.

Denouncing the main component of 1993 agreement with the World Bank of appointing foreign consultants, he said Bangladesh is having many more experts of its own on jute sector.

"We have enough expertise on jute sector, we do not need to pay consultancy fee through taking loan," he said.

Prof MM Akash termed the Word Bank suggestion on privatisation as wrong for Bangladesh.

It was not proved here that privatisation can make the industry profitable, he said.