Jute and Textile Minister Shajahan Siraj said this while he was talking to journalists after an inter-ministerial meeting at the Jute Ministry yesterday. He said that if jute bags were used in everything, a huge amount of foreign currency, now spent on importing raw materials to make polypropylene bags, could be saved.

The inter-ministerial meeting was organised after the Jute Ministry received a letter from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) to consider making the use of jute bags compulsory in packing commodities by government enterprises. Earlier, Bangladesh Jute Mills Association (BJMA) wrote a letter to the PMO drawing attention to the matter.

Terming it an important national issue, Shajahan Siraj said that around three crore people are involved with the jute sector. If jute bags are used everywhere, the jute mills will run throughout the year creating scope for more employment.

The meeting discussed whether a law like 'Jute Packing Material Act 1987' of India could be introduced in the country to make the use of jute bags compulsory.

Addressing the meeting, Shajahan Siraj said the jute industry is now on the verge of ruin and it is high time to do everything possible to save the once lucrative industry.

Recalling the golden era of jute, he said the jute mills were being shut down one after another due to financial problems. The government's inability to provide adequate funds made things worse, he added.

He said that as the jute mills in Bangladesh were being closed down, the Indian government has invested nearly Tk 4,500 crore to develop their jute industry, including setting up of new jute mills.

Calling neighbouring India as Bangladesh's main competitor in the world market, he said that unless appropriate actions are taken immediately, India would solely dominate the world jute market.

The meeting pointed out that jute bags are more expensive than the currently used bags made of polypropylene. As a result, different organisations are reluctant to use jute bags for packing their produce.

It decided that a secretary-level inter-ministerial meeting would take place to discuss the implementation of the proposal, which will be followed up in the cabinet level meeting.

Officials from different ministries and representatives of BJMA and BJMC also spoke in the meeting.