Government to take back land properties of privatized mills, factories those who failed to start operation in time

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said this in a views-exchange meeting with the officials of the Ministry of Textiles and Jute at Bangladesh Secretariat here yesterday.
Sheikh Hasina said some unscrupulous persons in guise of promoters bought those mills and factories in a very nominal price taking advantages of the privatization. Later, they used the public properties as a tool for making money.

"They have not only appropriated their valuable machinery but also selling their land properties," she said adding those properties must be recovered and would be allocated to the persons ready for setting up of small and medium scale industries.
No state-owned mills and factories would be privatized in future, she said asking the ministry to take necessary steps to get back the land properties of the privatized mills and factories which failed to go to operation.
The view-exchange meeting was held as part of the PM's plan to visit all ministries in phases to know about their problems and prospects of the ministries and give necessary directives to steer up the activities of the ministries. Minister for Textiles and Jute Muhammad Imaz Uddin Pramanik, MP gave introductory speech welcoming the Prime Minister to the ministry as well as highlighting the successes and future plan of the ministry as well as impending challenges on the way of progress.
State Minister Mirza Azam, secretary of the ministry Fani Bhusan Chowdhury, heads of various departments under the ministry and senior officials of the ministry and Prime Minister's Office were present.
Expressing her high hope on the very prospective textile and jute sector the Prime Minister said the sector can make highest contribution to the country's economy. "We have to take plan for exploring our jute and jute products market across the world," she said.
In this regard the Prime Minister laid importance on necessary study for production of Muslin fabrics, a delicate handspun yarn for which Bangladesh earned fame from Europe and other parts of the world in 17th and 18th centuries.
Sheikh Hasina said her government has urged the ministry officials to work with their earnest devotion, honesty and courage for development of the sector considering its contribution to the country's economy.
Laying importance on giving importance to jute, the Prime Minister said the product should be promoted because of its environment friendly aspects and huge market across the world. "China and many other countries are producing high quality fiber and as many as 36 other items from jute," she said.
Sheikh Hasina said the government would allocate land to those promoters interested in producing jute and jute products. "Awami League government released nine jute mills to the ownership of the workers of the mills. But those factories didn't function well in lack of necessary monitoring and supervision," she added.
Pointing out the steps taken by her government for development of the textiles and jute sector, the Prime Minister said the wages of the public sector industries were enhanced and support is being given to private sector industries. "The wages of garment workers were raised in a ratio which is unprecedented in the world," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman after independence nurtured the jute mills and factories with his all parentally affections. The BNP government in collusion with the World Bank adopted a policy to destroy the jute sector.
Under the plan, the Prime Minister said, BNP government in 1991 sold out many jute mills in a very marginal price and corruption. In 2001, BNP-Jamaat closed down the country's largest jute mills Adamjee making about one crore people helpless.
Sheikh Hasina said, Awami League government during its 1996-2001 period had undertaken a plan to use the barren land of Adamjee Jute Mills for setting up of small jute product industries. But next BNP government shattered the plan.
The prime minister said her government has taken initiative to retrieve the glory of jute as the 'Golden Fiber of Bangladesh'. Her government in 2009 observed the 'International Natural Fiber Day' expressing its solidarity with the United Nations.
Sheikh Hasina said jute cultivation has got momentum in the country due to the steps taken by her government. "Awami League in its election manifesto also has attached special importance for development of the jute and textiles sector," she added.
The prime minister said the country earns its highest export earnings from the readymade garment sector. "As the backward linkage industry, textile industries have a very crucial role in the RMG export," she said.
The Prime Minister appreciated the role of private sector in the development of textiles and RMG sector saying private sector should come forward for development of jute sector also.
She said the government has made the Department of Textiles as the regulatory authority of all industries related to textile industries. One stop service and online registration were introduced to expedite the services.
Sheikh Hasina said the present government has set a goal to build a middle-income country by 2021. The jute sector would play an importance role in this regard.
She said Bangladeshi scientists have invented genome sequence of jute. "More research is needed for application of the result of the research and taking it to international level," she said.
In his welcome address, Textiles and Jute minister Imaz Uddin Pramanik stressed the need for strict execution of the law banning use, production and storage of polythene and its raw materials to encourage people to use jute bags.
He also called for an organization to replace International Jute Study Group for promotion of the jute sector.
-BSS
Photo: Saiful Islam Kallol