State-owned jute mills incurred loss of Tk 31.68b in FY21

The jute mills under the Bangladesh Textile Mills Corporation (BTMC) have incurred a loss of Tk 31.68 billion in the fiscal year 2020-21.

Textiles and Jute Minister Golam Dastagir Gazi said this parliament responding to a question from Jatiya Party MP Moshiur Rahman Ranga on Thursday.

The jute mills earned Tk 4.84 billion and spent Tk 36.53 billion during the period, he said.

Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury presided over the question and answer session.

The minister said out of 25 jute mills under the BTMC, 24 have been shut and one has been rented out.

Textile villages are being set up in two of the closed 24 mills.

Replying to a query from Dhaka -18 constituency MP Mohammad Habib Hasan of the ruling party, Golam Dastagir Gazi said that at present (Census 2018) there are 589 weaving factories and 1,16,117 units in the country.

The weaving industry produces about 474.70 million meters of weaving cloth annually, which meets 28 per cent of the country's textile demand (excluding power looms), he said.

Replying to a question from Natore-2 MP Shafiqul Islam Shimul, the minister said that at present the number of looms in the country is 290,282.

In reply to a query from MP Begum Lutfunnesa Khan, the Minister said 0.56 million tonnes of raw jute have been exported in the 8 months of the current fiscal year.  Besides, 0.58 million tonnes raw jute and 0.78 million tonnes of jute products have been exported in the fiscal year 2020-21, he added.