Even though robbers have looted machinery worth nearly Tk1 crore, Natore Sugar Mill has started its sugarcane crushing season for the fiscal year 2025–26, setting a production target of 6,930 metric tons of sugar.
A gang of armed robbers tied up the security guards of the sugar mill and took away valuable machinery on 2 August.
Farmers said that they might have to suffer huge lossesif the authority didnot reopen the sugar millon time. If sugarcane could not be cut in the specified time, they would not have been able to plant crops. Additionally, they would have faced financial trouble if they were unable to sell sugarcane for crushing.
Azharul Islam, Director (Finance, Commercial) of Bangladesh Sugar and Food Industries Corporation, inauguratedthe sugarcane crushing season on Friday (21 November). Additional Superintendent of Police Itekhair Alam, Managing Director of Natore Sugar Mill Md. Akhlasur Rahman, Managing Director of North Bengal Sugar Mill Farid Hossain Bhuiyan, BNP leader Habibur Islam Helal, officers concerned, CBA leaders, and sugarcane growers were present at the event.
According to Natore Sugar Mill sources, the target for the current 2025–26 season is to crush 1.10 lakh metric tons of sugarcane over 74 working days to produce 6,930 metric tons of sugar. The expected sugar recovery rate was set at 6.3%. Sugarcane will be supplied from 48 centres across eight sub-zones of the mill. Earlier, awareness campaigns were conducted in the sub-zones to encourage the farmers to supply clean, high-quality sugarcane to the mill.
Although a case was filed with Natore Police Station on August 3, law enforcers have not yet recovered the stolen machinery. The case was later handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). The CID has arrested 21 individuals and seized the truck hired by the robbers, but the machinery has still not been recovered. The authorities said that purchasing such machinery on short notice is not possible, so they had to borrow parts from closed sugar mills in the country.
Managing Director of Natore Sugar Mill Md. Akhlasur Rahman said, “The 42nd crushing season at Natore Sugar Mill has started. Even though the stolen machinery hasn’t been recovered, we have made all necessary preparations for sugarcane supply.”
Most of the stolen machinery was made of copper, making it difficult to procure them quickly. The mill has begun the sugarcane crushing season, using borrowed parts from other closed sugar mills, he added.
