The demand was made at a press conference yesterday in Dhaka.

The other demands include fixing the price of indigenous yarn to the international level.

BKMEA President Fazlul Haque said the price of local yarn has gone up in the past one month.

He said the import of yarn through land ports has remained shut since March 2001. At present, yarn is being imported through waterways.

The knitwear industries cannot complete their work orders in time due to lack of yarn, he added.

If the government does not permit them to import yarn through land ports they will be compelled to cancel their work orders, he said.

BKMEA president alleged in some cases local yarn is not up to the mark.

In reply to a question, the BKMEA president said, "Importing yarn is not our goal. Businessmen will not import yarn if quality yarn supply is adequate and the price is equivalent to that of the international market."

BKMEA vice-president Habibur Rahman, Abu Ahmed Siddique, Abdur Rashed, director Haidar Ali Bablu, Khaja Azizul Haque, Khaza Rahmatullah and Monwar Hossain, among others, were present at the briefing.