The government on Tuesday signed lease agreements with two private business groups to reopen three long-closed state-owned jute mills, involving an investment of around Tk 619 crore and an opportunity to create at least 11,629 jobs.The agreements were signed between Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC), PRAN-RFL Group and HAMKO Group in the presence of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman at his office at the Secretariat, said PM’s Deputy Press Secretary Hasan Shiplu.
Under the agreements, PRAN-RFL Group will take over National Jute Mills Ltd in Sirajganj and Star Jute Mills Ltd in Khulna, while HAMKO Group will take over Platinum Jubilee Jute Mills Ltd in Khulna.
BJMC Chairman Brig Gen Md Kabir Uddin Sikder signed the agreements on behalf of the state-owned corporation. Aminur Rahman, group company secretary of PRAN-RFL Group, and ATM Mustafa, managing director of HAMKO Group, signed the agreements on behalf of their respective companies.
The three long-closed mills will be reopened under private management. Once operational, the mills are expected to create at least 11,629 jobs, with an investment of around Tk 619 crore and a combined potential annual turnover of about Tk 1,175 crore.
The National Jute Mills in Raipur, Sirajganj, is planned to receive an investment of around Tk 157 crore. Once reopened, the mill is expected to create 5,238 jobs and generate an annual turnover of around Tk 500 crore.
Around Tk 250 crore will be invested in Star Jute Mills in Digholia, Khulna. The mill is expected to create 5,238 jobs after reopening, with an annual turnover target of around Tk 500 crore.
Meanwhile, around Tk 212 crore is planned to be invested in Platinum Jubilee Jute Mills in Khalishpur, Khulna. The mill is expected to create at least 1,153 jobs once reopened, with a potential annual turnover of around Tk 175 crore.
It was discussed at the programme that the government has decided to reopen 20 of the 25 mills under the BJMC that remain closed under lease-based private management.
So far, leases for 14 mills have been completed and possession handed over to the lessees, while production has already resumed at nine of them.
Commerce, Industries and Textiles and Jute Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir, State Minister for Textiles and Jute Md Shariful Alam, Textiles and Jute Secretary Sharf Uddin Ahmed Choudhury, and senior officials of BJMC and the leaseholding companies were present.