Old and ramshackle machines at a jute mill. PHOTO: ANURUP KANTI DAS

Most of the jute mills in Chittagong have lost their 40 to 50 percent production capacity due to the absence of modern machinery and maintenance of the existing ones.
Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC) sources said to keep pace with normal production capacity, machines of the mills need balancing, modernisation, rehabilitation and expansion, BMRE as termed in the industry, after each 10 to12 years. But the BMRE could not be implemented in any of the jute mills in Chittagong till date after the independence, they added.
The situation has been prevailing in most of the 11 mills due to a deadlock situation in improving the condition, stoppages in production and negligence of those concerned.
The jute mills are Amin Jute Mills, Hafiz Jute Mills, Gul Ahmed Jute Mills, BDCF Jute Mills, MM Jute Mills, RR Jute Mills, Karnaphuli Jute Mills, Forad Jute Mills, DDF, Galfra Habib Limited and Mills Furnishing Limited.
Regional General Manager of BJMC, Chittagong ANM Jasim Uddin told The Daily Star that Adamji Jute Mills was closed according to the advice of World Bank during the BNP-led four-party alliance government.
Many equipment and important machineries of the mills were damaged for lack of proper maintenance and negligence, hampering production in the mills, he added.
Currently, instead of producing jute products, two of the mills are producing different machinery parts and another was leased out, sources at the BJMC office here said.
One high official on condition of anonymity said Karnaphuli, Furad and DDF jute mills were merged to form a single mill named KFD and leased out to Sad Musa and Fabrics, a private company.
Engineer Mohammad Shahidullah, deputy general manager (maintenance) of BJMC, said the longevity of the machinery is 30 to 40 years. No BMRE was done after the independence.
“If the government would finance properly for BMRE, the mills could go for more production easily,” he said.
Terming the sector profitable, he said 21 mills under BJMC in the country made a profit of Tk 14 crore last year despite economic depression in international markets though they had been running with their old machines.
He said most of the machines and machinery related parts were incapacitated in the mills.
Sixty percent of the machines of the mills are busy with regular production while other parts or machinery are lying for repair. So the mills are able to achieve only 40 per cent of the production.
Hafiz Jute Mills established on 66 acres of land is one of the important jute mills of BJMC where around 4,000 workers work. Even with a huge infrastructure and skilled workers, it cannot achieve its target only due to absence of BMRE.
Hazif Jute Mills Deputy Director Banij Uddin Miyan told The Daily Star that the workers used to work in three shifts in the mills which were reduced to two shifts as the machines are lying for repair.
The mills now run with the old machines and more than 40 percent of production capacity has decreased after the independence as the BMRE could not be done even once in the mills, Banij added.
BJMC Deputy General Manager Engineer Md Shahidullah said, “BJMC is now at a break-even stage and sometimes are making profits.”
“Forad is the factory under BJMC which produces which produces machinery for the mills,” he said. “If the government allocates sufficient budget for BMRE, BJMC would be able to compete in the world market with its products and service.
Shahidullah said, “BJMC submitted a proposal of Tk 1,046 crore for BMRE to the jute and textile ministry through the parliamentary standing committee.” He said, “It is an important sector which has potential to create jobs and it is possible to earn huge foreign currency for the country using the mills properly.”