Raw jute export curbs trigger labour unrest in Khulna

KHULNA, May 19: Workers staged demonstrations, blocked roads, set tyres on fire and vandalised the office of the Bangladesh Jute Association (BJA) in Khulna on Monday, protesting what they termed an effective suspension of raw jute exports due to newly imposed conditions, alongside demands for payment of wage arrears.

The incidents took place around noon in front of the BJA office in Daulatpur.

Local people said workers under the banner of the Daulatpur Jute Press and Baling Workers' Union brought out a procession from Railgate intersection in the city and later blocked the road in front of the BJA office.

During the blockade, protesters set tyres ablaze on the road and chanted slogans. At one stage, they stormed the BJA office, smashed windowpanes and surrounded the premises, causing panic in the area.

The unrest also disrupted an ongoing press conference at the office, leaving several jute traders and journalists temporarily stranded inside the building.

The protesting workers alleged that the former interim government's adviser on jute and commerce included raw jute in the list of conditional export items to serve personal business interests, effectively halting exports.

They claimed that around 40 jute press factories across the country have remained closed for nearly nine months due to the restriction, leaving hundreds of thousands of workers unemployed and pushing their families into hardship.

The workers demanded immediate removal of raw jute from the list of conditional export items.

Meanwhile, at a press conference organised by the BJA, leaders said Bangladesh traditionally earns Tk 1,500 crore to Tk 2,000 crore annually in foreign exchange by exporting surplus raw jute after meeting domestic demand.

They alleged that the export restrictions have caused heavy financial losses for traders while depriving farmers of fair prices.

BJA Chairman Khandaker Alamgir Kabir warned that thousands of workers risk losing jobs and the country's traditional jute industry could face collapse unless exports resume soon.