The government is planning to lease out 12 of the state-run jute and textile industries, including some closed ones, to private entrepreneurs for resumption of production or better functioning.

One of the objectives is also to restore employment to those affected workers and officials who had lost their job recently due to closure of the mills and factories in jute and textile sector for one reason or the other, official sources in the Privatisation Commission indicated yesterday.

They said the Commission has prepared a proposal for leasing out the 12 public sector enterprises - seven textile and three jute mills - to the private entrepreneurs. The proposal is expected to be placed at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs to be held on July 5 for its approval, sources said, adding after getting approval of the Cabinet Committee, the Privatisation Commission will invite tenders on the 12 mills within a short time.

The listed mills are: Kaderiya Textile Mills Limited of Tongi, Sylhet Textile Mills of Sylhet, Daruyani Textile Mills Limited of Nilphamary, Kurigram Textile Mills Limited of Kurigram, Valika Wooden Mills Limited of Chittagong, Ahmed Bawani Textile Mills Limited of Dhaka, Chittaranjon Cotton Mills Limited of Narayanganj, Kaumi Jute Mills Limited of Sirajganj, Baghdad-Dhaka Carpet Factory Limited of Chittagong, Daulatpur Jute Mills Limited of Khulna, Dying and Printing Unit of Chittagong and Service and Facilities Centre of Brahmmanbaria.

A high official of the Privatisation Commission told The Independent, on condition of anonymity, that the Textile and Jute ministries has sent a list of the 12 public mills to the Commission on April 12 last for possible disposal to private entrepreneurs.

"After getting the list, the Commission at a meeting held on May 26 last, decided to privatise the 12 public mills," the official said. The Textile Ministry has already taken clearance from the ministries of law and finance in this regard, he added.
Of the listed mills, Kaumi Jute Mills, Baghdad-Dhaka Carpet Factory and Daulatpur Jute Mills remained shut for the last seven years for incurring huge losses. Since then, though a number of officials and workers lost their jobs, the government allegedly failed to clear their wages and claims fully as yet.

-The Independent