The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Bangladesh Textile and Garments Waste Processors and Exporters Association (BTGWPEA) yesterday called upon the government to withdraw its decision to fix the export price of processed waste cotton.

The BTGWPEA leaders made this appeal at a press conference at the office of the Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) in the city.

They told the press conference that as per statutory regulatory order (SRO), the export price of one kilogram of processed waste cotton comes to 1.60 US dollars which was earlier Tk 8 to 10.

" We will be compelled to shut down our waste processing units if the government did not withdraw its SRO on the export of processed waste cotton.The closure of these units will throw a large number of poor workers out of employment, said ANS Mahmood, resident of BTGWPEA.

He pointed out that over five lakh workers, most of them from monga prone areas, have been working at 500 textile and garments waste processor units. These units turn out 500 tonnes of processed waste cotton every day, he informed.

He made an fervent appeal to the government to review the SRO on the export of processed waste cotton in the interest of the country and the thousands of workers.

The BTGWPEA leaders alleged that the authority declared the SRO without holding any prior discussion with the textile and garments waste processors and exporting bodies.

They termed the newly fixed exporting price of processed waste cotton "unrealistic" adding that it was done to destroy the waste processing units.

They demanded subsidy for the waste cotton processing units for increasing employment generation. They also called for waiving income tax on the revenue of the textile and garment waste processors.

Abdul Marin, Amzad Hossain,Samar Banik, Mahbubul Alam and Delwar Hossain,among others, were present at the press conference.