Staff Reporter:
Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir said on Saturday that the government is firmly committed to reopening the country’s closed state-owned sugar mills.
“Decisions will be taken by giving top priority to the interests of sugarcane growers, workers, and the long-term commercial viability of the mills,” he said.
He made the remarks while addressing an exchange meeting with sugarcane farmers at the premises of Panchagarh Sugar Mills Limited in Panchagarh as the chief guest.
“The mills are assets of the people of Bangladesh. Ensuring their honest and effective use is the government’s responsibility,” he said.
“We want the closed industrial units to return to production, create employment and bring fresh momentum to the local economy,” he added.
The minister said, “Several sugar mills in the country remain closed, while many operational mills are functioning under different limitations. Most of the mills are between 50 and 70 years old, making modernisation, renovation, and the introduction of new technology essential for effective revival.”
He said some mills would need to be reopened with new machinery, some would require infrastructural renovation, while alternative plans might have to be considered for others.
“In every case, however, the interests of sugarcane growers, employment of workers, and profitable operation will be ensured,” he said.
Muktadir said a functioning industrial unit creates employment not only for direct workers but also for many others through related economic activities.
He said reopening the closed mills is therefore important for overall economic activity and poverty reduction in the country.
“When employment increases, money circulation among people rises, the local economy becomes more active and poverty declines. With that goal in mind, the government is moving forward with industrial revival,” he added.
The meeting was chaired by Md Jahangir Alam, Chairman of the Bangladesh Sugar and Food Industries Corporation.
Among others, Barrister Naushad Zamir, Md Obaidur Rahman, Md Saiful Islam, Mosammat Shukria Parveen and representatives of sugarcane growers and labour leaders were present.
Established between 1966 and 1969 with a daily crushing capacity of 1,016 metric tonnes of sugarcane, Panchagarh Sugar Mills Limited began full-scale production in 1969-70. The mill is currently operating under the Bangladesh Sugar and Food Industries Corporation.
