‘Workers of state-owned jute mills will get Tk 5,000 crore’

Textiles and Jute Minister Golam Dastagir Gazi has said workers of all the state-owned jute mills under Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation will be paid Tk 5,000 crore including retirement benefits.

The minister said this at a press briefing held at his residence in the city on Friday.

The decision has been taken as part of the government plans to modernise the loss-making jute sector and turn into a production-oriented industry under the private-public partnership model, the minister said.

Secretary of the Textiles and Jute Ministry Lokman Hosain and other senior officials were present at the press briefing.

Earlier on Thursday, the government announced payoff packages for workers to shut down all the state-owned jute mills, amid protests.

The shutdown will send about 25,000 workers at 26 jute mills into early retirement under a scheme, euphemistically called golden handshake.

The decision came at a meeting presided over by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina amid widespread unrest among jute mill workers over the government's decision to shut the loss-making mills.

Dhaka/Asad/Mukul