Private jute mills creating job opportunities in Bogra

Private-sector jute mills in Bogra, which saw significant expansion in the last few years, have started offering plenty of job opportunities for the unemployed people of the district.    Most of these mills are using second-hand machines bought either from the country’s now-defunct jute factories or from India.  They produce various kinds of jute products and accessories, including sacks and yarn, and sell them at local and international markets.    According to an estimate of Bangladesh Jute Miles Corporation (BJMC), at least 50 jute miles were established in 16 northern districts, including Bogra, in the last few years – with the investment totalling Tk10b.    About 50,000 jobs were created in the region’s private jute sector in the last eight years, a BJMC source said.     Md Fazlur Rahman Paiker, managing director of Paiker Jute Milles Limited, which was established in 2011, said he invested Tk500m in his venture and created more than 700 jobs.    As well as producing for local consumers, he said his company is now producing jute products for international consumers in Europe and the Middle East. Most of his employees, he said, are women.    Nahida Begum, who has a family to care for, said, “I was looking for a way to increase our family’s income and came to learn of this job opening at Paiker’s mill one day. So I joined and my monthly income is now Tk5,000.”    Another woman working at the mill, Reshman Khatun said she is happy to be able to work at a place close to her home and contribute to her family’s income.    Ranu Begum, who used to be a domestic helper, said, “I used to earn only Tk300 every month as a domestic maid. Then I joined a jute factory and started earning Tk5,000 a month.”    Sources said, the average monthly pay for workers in these jute mills ranges from under Tk4,000 to Tk5,000.    However, it is not all roses for the entrepreneurs coming in the sector these days and especially for those competing on an international level.    Paiker said, “I started to expand my operation a few months ago to meet the demand of my foreign buyers, especially those in the Middle East countries. But the business has somewhat slackened lately, because of the unrest in the Middle East and other problems.” “If this situation continues, I may soon have to temporarily stop operation for foreign buyers,” he said.    Like Paiker’s mills, Hasan Jute Miles Limited, another jute-processing company, also expanded its operations to cater to international markets and is producing export-quality products. It uses second-hand machines bought at cheaper rates from different jute mills in Bangladesh and India.   The factory boasts of having created more than 1500 jobs, mostly for women, in the last two and a half years.  ATM Shafiquil Hasan Jewel, managing director of the mill, said he had embarked on a business expansion project with an investment of Tk150m.     Prior to that, he said, he had invested Tk260m in the jute mile. “It is our expectation that we will be able to create another 800 jobs once we are fully into the business.”