Around 1,500 staff, mostly workers, of a spinning mill in Madaripur have been leading a miserable life as the factory has stopped production for more than six months.
In most cases, they are passing their days by either starving or half-fed. Other than being unemployed for so many days, many workers are yet to get their wage arrears, adding to their woes.
Situated by the Dhaka-Barisal Highway at Mosfatapur area under Sadar upazila, the factory had been established by the government on a 33-acre land back in 1978, which started formal operation three years later.
After running the mill, the sole spinning unit in the district, until 1994, the government sold it out to a Kishoreganj-based entrepreneur.
With a workforce of around 1,500, including high-ups and employees, the mill used to spin up to 1,500 bales of cotton (one bale is equal to 218 kilograms) to produce threads in three shifts.
However, the authorities concerned on July 13 last year sealed off the mill as its owner failed to pay dues to the government, with the installments of unpaid bank loans piling up.
The government move put the staff into deep trouble despite it witnessing full-fledged operation there then.
According to sources, most of the workers were local poor women, who would bear most of their family expenditures, with many being the lone breadwinner for respective families.
The closure of the factory has left the lion’s share of them unemployed while they have been sitting idle and passing their days amid growing uncertainty looking for an alternative job for over half a year now.
The ill-fated want the factory resumed operation soon, no matter what.
Majeda, a former worker, said most of her female colleagues are widows and some are helpless and unmarried young girls.
“They used to run their families with their salaries from the factory. But those days are gone by since we are having a testing time without employment,” she said.
With frustration easily evident in her eyes, Majeda urged the government to help resolve the crisis as soon as possible.
“I know the government is a workers-friendly one. So, I appeal to the prime minister for her intervention in this regard,” she said.
Another worker, Mahibur echoed Majeda’s sentiment and said: “We are even struggling to arrange food for our children once a day.”
Meanwhile, a former official of the mill, preferring anonymity, said the factory was running well even under the private ownership, creating employment for hundreds of locals, especially the women in need.
The entire economy of the area was impacted greatly then, as small businesses surfaced centring the factory, he recounted.
He too demanded the mill to be reopened soon, expressing the fear of the equipment inside it getting damaged if the situation continues.
According to him, the circular issued to shut down the mill did not mention any amount of the outstanding money.
Talking about the issue, Bangladesh Textile Mills Corporation (BTMC) Deputy General Manager Kazi Firoze Hossain said the government took measures to reopen the factory, but in vain since its owner filed a writ petition to keep his control over the establishment.
“We were preparing to resume the production at the factory through the supervision of BTMC. But our efforts came to a halt after the owner moved the High Court with the writ petition,” he continued.
He hoped that the stalemate will end soon after the writ is disposed of and the verdict goes in favour of the government, helping the former workers get back their employment and create new jobs.
Madaripur’s Deputy Commissioner (DC) Md Wahidul Islam said: “We took over the factory following the instruction of the Textiles and Jute Ministry as the owner did not pay the money he owes to the government.”
Despite repeated approaches, he did not respond to the government, Wahidul said, adding, the mill owner also failed to repay a vast amount of outstanding loan that he took from the state-run Rupali Bank Limited.
The mill, Wahidul said, still owes up to Tk12 crore to the government, while it had taken ook a massive loan of Tk700 crore from Rupali Bank.
“The owner taking such a huge amount of loan implies that he had something else in his mind, which needs to be probed,” DC Wahidul suggested.
As the deadline for paying the dues to the government expired, the factory was sealed off and the BTMC was tasked with its supervision.
Currently, an official of the BTMC is serving as an officer-in-charge of the factory, who has 12 other colleagues, including several Ansar members, to take care of and ensure security inside the factory premises.
Thursday, June 04, 2026
