Raw jute export restriction sparks labour unrest in Khulna

KHULNA, May 21: Workers staged demonstrations, blocked roads, set fires and vandalised the office of the Bangladesh Jute Association (BJA) in Khulna on Tuesday, protesting what they termed the effective suspension of raw jute exports through newly imposed conditions, alongside demands for payment of wage arrears.

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

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

During the blockade, protesters set tyres on fire on the road and chanted slogans. At one stage, agitated workers attacked the BJA office, smashed windowpanes and surrounded the premises.

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 had 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 had remained closed for nearly nine months because of the restriction, leaving hundreds of thousands of workers unemployed and forcing their families into severe hardship.

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

Warning of tougher action, the protesters said they would launch larger movements involving their family members if their demands were not met soon.

Meanwhile, at a press conference organised by the Bangladesh Jute Association, its leaders said Bangladesh traditionally earned between Taka 1,500 crore and Taka 2,000 crore annually in foreign currencies by exporting surplus raw jute after meeting domestic demand.

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

BJA leaders further said that despite the country having a significant surplus of raw jute, export conditions had been imposed to benefit a particular group, pushing the jute sector into a serious crisis.

The association demanded immediate withdrawal of the restrictions on raw jute exports and warned of continued protest programmes if no action was taken.

Speaking at the press conference, BJA Chairman Khandaker Alamgir Kabir said thousands of workers would lose their jobs and the country's traditional jute industry would face destruction unless raw jute exports were resumed quickly.