Textiles and Jute Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir on Thursday said the government has decided to reopen six closed jute mills under private initiative within the next six months.
He made the announcement at a press conference held in the ministry's conference room at the Secretariat in the morning.
"The government is moving ahead with a plan to reopen six closed jute mills this year to attract investment, create jobs and boost export earnings," he said.
Earlier, he chaired an emergency meeting with stakeholders at the Ministry of Textiles and Jute, where discussions focused on the condition of closed mills, prospects for private investment and ways to expedite the leasing process for remaining facilities.
The minister said several jute mills have already been leased to the private sector, where investors have made significant investments and created jobs, describing the outcome as a positive development.
He added that six more jute mills will be transferred to private operators by December this year. Each mill is expected to generate more than 1,000 jobs, while investment may range between Tk 200 crore and Tk 500 crore, depending on the facility.
Muktadir said the government's broader plan is to bring all mills under the ministry back into production. Some will continue in the jute sector, while others will be repurposed for different industries through new investment, helping create thousands of jobs, increase foreign exchange earnings and reduce imports.
State Minister Md Shariful Alam said he has been visiting textile and jute mills and is working to accelerate decisions based on field assessments, adding that the government is committed to reviving closed mills as productive assets.
The meeting was attended by Ashiq Chowdhury, Chairman of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), Secretary Abdun Naser Khan, and senior officials of Bangladesh Textile Mills Corporation (BTMC) and Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC), along with investor representatives.
In 2020, 25 jute mills under BJMC were shut down. Later, 20 were selected for leasing, of which 14 have already been leased out. Nine of them are currently in production, employing around 9,500 people.
