Bengal Textile Mill reopening after 1.5 yrs, thousands of workers await job opportunities

After a year and a half of closure, Bengal Textile Mill in Jashore's Abhaynagar is set to resume operations under the Bangladesh Textile Mills Corporation (BTMC), with thousands of workers eagerly awaiting the chance to be employed.

Situated on 16.32 acres of land in Nawapara village near the Jashore-Khulna highway, the site houses two separate mills within a single boundary wall.

In 1962, West Pakistani businessman Haji Nazir Ahmed and his three sons founded Bengal Textile Mills-1, equipped with 12,500 spindles. Production started in 1966. Following Bangladesh’s independence, the mill was nationalized in 1972. Later, in 1987, with financial support from China, a second unit—Bengal Textile Mills-2—was set up using Chinese machinery, and it began production in 1989.

During an inspection, it was found that the prolonged closure had taken a serious toll on the Bengal Textile Mill’s infrastructure. Much of the machinery and equipment had deteriorated, several buildings had become unfit for use, with cracks in the walls and plaster peeling from the ceilings. Costly machines lay abandoned, while the premises were overtaken by weeds and debris.

According to officials, outdated machinery and other operational challenges had caused mounting losses, forcing the gradual layoff of workers. Although the Bangladesh Textile Mills Corporation (BTMC) attempted to restart operations under a service charge model, the effort ultimately failed.

They added that the machinery and equipment in both Mills 1 and 2 have reached the end of their useful life, and new machines need to be installed for the mill to start functioning again.

Former CBA leader of the mill, Nazrul Islam, said, "About a thousand workers were employed at Bengal Textile Mill. After the mill shut down, the workers' families have been struggling. Reopening the mill will be a great relief for them."

Md Atikur Rahman, the mill's spinning manager and current in-charge, said, "The mill was shut down in the first week of November 2023. At present, 22 people—including myself, the accounts officer, the mosque imam and muezzin, and security personnel—are still on duty. On April 29, the BTMC chairman, along with officials from the Ministry of Finance and the Jute Corporation, visited the site. Efforts are underway to reopen the mill under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model."

BTMC Chairman Brigadier General SM Zahid Hasan said, "The government is actively working to reopen all the mills, including Bengal Textile. Efforts are ongoing to revive them under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, but finding the right partner will take some time."