Workers of state-owned Alim Jute Mills in Khulna put up barricades at different points on the Khulna-Jessore Highway yesterday protesting against the government’s plans to privatise the industry.
This road and railway barricade programme from 10am till 11pm was a part of their ongoing movement launched under banner of under the banner of Privatisation Resistance Committee.
The barricades on the highway disrupted transport services causing immense sufferings to people.
A meeting was also held in on the premises of the mill where workers’ leader Abdus Salam Jamaddar, Syful Islam Mintu, Sarder Abdul Hamid, Mujibur Rahman Makbul, Abbas Ali, Iqbal Hossain, Sheikh Zakaria, Anwar Hossain, Abed Ali , Redowan Hossain Bahar, Babul Reza, Akbar Ali, Hafez Abdus Salam and Rafiqul Islam.
The committee convener Md Abdur Rashid presided over the function.
The speakers threatened the government that they would paralyse Khulna city if the authorities concerned did not cancel their decision about privatising the mill immediately.
They were also demanding adequate allocation of fund for buying raw materials for the mills, payment of their arrear wages, payment of twenty per cent dearness allowance, exploration of markets both at home and abroad for gearing up sale of products and removal of corrupt officials.
The government announced privatising the Alim Jute Mills about six months back.
According to the Dhaka Tribune reports on 22 May, a cash crunch hit nine state-owned jute mills in Khulna and Jessore regions, with the workers demanding that money be allocated to purchase raw jute.
But the mills’ authorities said this was the result of unsold jute products piling up at the factories and not particularly a financial problem.
In mills where jute has not been stored, however, productions have fallen and workers have not been paid on time.