Workers who lost their jobs after the government shut down state-owned Rajshahi Jute Mills in 2020 staged demonstrations on Sunday demanding immediate reopening of the jute mills under the state-management.
Over two hundred of them under the banner of Rajshahi Jute Mill Employee-Workers Union brought out a protest procession in front of the jute mills and joined a protest rally in the Katakhali Bazar area under Paba upazila in Rajshahi.
On July 1, 2020, the government shut down Rajshahi Jute Mills, with other 24 state-owned jute mills, due to huge amounts of losses year after year.
When the jute mills were shut down, a total of 1,700 workers used to work at Rajshahi Jute Mills, which was established in 1969 on 49.2 acres of land.
Addressing the rally, Shamim Hossain, general secretary of the Rajshahi Jute Mills Employee-Workers Union, said that when the state-owned jute mills were shut down, the authorities concerned assured them of reopening the jute mills under the public-private partnership arrangement within the next six months.
鈥楽ince then, only three jute mills were reopened under the public-private partnership arrangement. But they are not running,鈥� he said, adding that the Rajshahi Jute Mills must be reopened under the state-management as the workers had been passing a miserable life without having any work.
Shamim Hossain also said that although Rajshahi Jute Mills had been declared closed on July 1, 2020, a total of 50 officers and 150 staff members were taking salaries from the government despite sitting idle.
鈥楢fter the closure of the mills, many unemployed workers died without treatment due to the financial crisis. This situation cannot continue. We want to get paid by working hard,鈥� he said.
Zillur Rahman, president of the union, said that the mill authorities had not paid the dues of many of the dead workers and of those who were transferred to other jute mills.
He said that following the closure of the Rajshahi Jute Mills, about 1,700 workers became unemployed as they did not have any work.
鈥榃e don鈥檛 want houses and cars. We want a work environment. We want to earn money by working. If the closed jute mills are not reopened under the state-management soon, we will sit with the workers of 25 closed jute mills and together we will go for a tougher movement,鈥� he said.
Zillur Rahman said that they were ready to fast unto death for their demand but would not allow the state institutions to be destroyed.
Among others, the union鈥檚 treasurer Mustafizur Rahman and former treasurer Forman Ali spoke at the rally.