Crescent Jute Mill: Machineries being damaged, workers unemployed

The Crescent Jute Mill commenced its journey in an industrial complex spanning 113 acres of land at Khalishpur of Khulna in 1956.

After 65 years of operation, the government announced the closure of the country's second largest jute mill in July 2020, citing insurmountable losses.

The authorities settled the dues of the workers partially and made a promise that the mill will resume operation after three months. But, the promise did not come true, though around three years have elapsed since then.

Around 6,000 workers lost their jobs when the jute mill stopped its operation. Many of them are now enduring dire conditions and struggling to make ends meet, while some have resorted to manual labour to survive.

Earlier, the country’s largest jute mill – Adamjee Jute Mill – also embraced the same fate around two decades ago. 

During a recent visit to the mill, it was seen that the once bustling area now resembles an abandoned ghost abode, with dilapidated buildings and overgrown worker colony. A number of security guards and labour families are the lone inhabitants of the area.

Everything was in the same place as before. But the eerie silence and deserted buildings reminded the absence of regular activities.   

Around 2,000 labour families were evicted from the colony during the closure three years ago.

Upon entering the mill with a special pass, the machineries were found in a sorry state. Hundreds of looms were seen lying dormant in factory-2. The building still houses the jute sewing machines, weighing machines, and equipment for printing jute bags.

The looms were seen rusted and partially dismantled, while the sewing machines suffered damages and weighing machines went out of order.  

It was learnt that there are no workers to maintain the machinery. 

The Crescent Jute Mill has a total of 1,100 looms, imported from James Mackie and Sons Company, a renowned British company. In its heyday, the mill had the capacity to produce 100 tonnes of jute sacks and fabrics daily. The United States, United Kingdom, Japan, and Australia were the key destinations of the jute products. 

The jute department building, where the mill authorities used to buy jute from farmers and traders, now stands deserted. A jute price chart, dated back to 20 July 2020, is still displayed on the wall board of the shabby building.

After the jute department building, there is a forge to repair the machines’ iron bars. It also remains deserted. The carpenter and transport buildings also turned dilapidated. A bus and a truck were found abandoned inside the transport building. 

In a conversation with Prothom Alo, Rais Uddin Ahmed, acting manager and coordination officer of Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC)'s Khulna regional office, said there is no allocation to maintain the machinery in the jute mill. The maintenance works require purchasing oil and appointment of around one hundred technicians.

“The previous technicians went away after losing their jobs. Where do we find them?,” he said, adding they, however, clean the dust sometimes. 

The misery of the jute workers is equally distressing. The mill had 3,800 permanent and 2,000 temporary workers. The authorities claim to have cleared most of the workers' dues during the closure, but conversations with the workers reveals a contradictory scenario. 

The workers alleged that they did not receive the full dues. The temporary workers, in particular, expressed dissatisfaction and alleged that some of them did not receive any money due to spelling errors in their names.

Sohrab Hossain, convenor of Bangladesh state-run jute mills CBA-non CBA oikya parishad, endorsed the workers' allegations and said they were not paid their dues properly. 

The authorities evicted the workers with a promise of resumption after three months. They are now living in the adjacent locality with immense financial hardships, he added.     

During a spot visit, it was seen that some 20-25 people gather near the mill entrance every morning, seeking work as cargo unloader at the nearby power plant warehouse.  Thus, the workers, who once held skilled positions in the jute mill, now eke out a living as manual laborer.

Khalil, a temporary worker of the jute mill, said he received no compensation after losing the job. With no other option in hand, he now drives an easy-bike to earn a livelihood.  

The mill was in operation until 3 July, 2020, but the documents mentioned the closure date to be 20 June. This discrepancy deprived the permanent workers of an increment and allowed the authority to pay less compensation than the deserved figures. 

Some workers alleged that the discrepancy resulted in less payment by Tk 100,000 to 150,000. 

The BJMC floated three tender notices in the last three years and sought private investment in the jute mill, but received no response. 

However, the Bay Group has recently expressed its interest to acquire the mill, to set up a shoe factory in partnership with a Chinese company. A Chinese delegation has already visited the site last week. Besides, there have been discussions with companies from Korea and India. 

Apart from the Crescent Jute Mill, the Khalishpur Jute Mill, Platinum Jute Mill, and Daulatpur Jute Mill were also closed in 2020, causing job losses to around 10,000 workers in total. The machinery in these mills are also getting damaged. 

The situation is affecting the glory of Khulna as an industrial city. 

The closure of the Crescent Jute Mill also affected the Crescent Secondary School, which was established in 1956 within the mill premises. A significant number of workers left the area after the closure of the mill, causing a decline in student enrollment in the school. 

The school had around 1,200 students in 2020, but the number dropped to 350 now. The number of teachers also fell from 25 to 10. 

Khadija Khanam, acting head teacher of the school, said many of their students had to leave the city as their parents lost their jobs in the jute mill. They were no longer able to survive in the city and continue their studies at the school. 

“Many of them might have dropped out of the school. I feel sorry when their memories come up in the mind,” she added.