The jute industry is waking up again. After several closed mills reopened, the number of jute mills in operation has reached 209. Efforts to enforce the law on mandatory jute packaging have also widened the local market.

From the 1950s, the jute industry brought hope of better lives for farmers, farm labourers and grassroots people, and the idea of freeing agriculture and industry from exploitation was part of the seed of independence. It began a golden chapter in exports, but irregularities and poor planning brought hard times, and many mills, including Adamjee in Narayanganj, were closed.

Jute state minister Mirza Azam said eight of the government's 27 jute mills had been closed; when they ran, there was a festive atmosphere. Workers at Bawany Jute Mills in Demra said many of them were directly and indirectly harmed by Adamjee's closure.

The government has reopened several jute enterprises one by one, giving workers new hope.

The jute ministry says coordinated enforcement of mandatory jute packaging has created a local market. Mirza Azam said the rule was introduced to create a domestic market and protect the environment, and Bangladesh will need 800 million jute bags a year. BJMA chairman Mahmud-uz-Zoha said wars in various countries have hurt international markets, but the rule has created a large market at home.

Source: Shykh Seraj, Hridoye Mati O Manush. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.