BJMC submits report on employee dues

Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC) has submitted the report on the due amount to be paid to the regular and retired employees of its 25 closed jute mills.

The payment to staff members ranges from 5 lakh taka to 54 lakh taka, which also includes gratuities. 

On Monday (August 24), BJMC Chairman Md Abdur Rouf submitted the report to finance division’s 5-member committee.

The committee will finalize the report and take further steps to pay the due salaries, allowances and retirement benefits.

After finalizing the report, the jute mills will receive funds in their respective bank accounts.

Besides, more than half of the funds will be in saving certificates.

The calculated fund will be given in the golden handshake packages as per directive of the committee.

On July 5, Finance division formed a 5-member committee to ensure smooth payment of salaries, allowances and other dues to permanent and retired employees of BJMC mills within 15 days.

The 5-member high power committee is headed by additional secretary of Treasury and Debit Management Sheikh Mohammed Salim Ullah.

The Committee called its first meeting next Monday (August 31) at finance division to be presided over by the head of committee.

In this regard, deputy secretary Nuruddin Al Faruk issued a letter to concerned authorities.

At the end of June this year, the government decided to shut the operation of the ailing state-owned jute mills under BJMC.

BJMC is planning to allow private investors to operate the mills provided that they have expertise in the jute business.

The decision to close the 25 jute mills came as BJMC mills had been incurring staggering losses over the years.

The government also decided to retrench staffs of Jute mills through golden-handshake.

According to BJMC sources, the golden handshake amount is 6,600 crore taka.

Of the total, Tk 4,900 crore will be paid in cash while the rest of the amount will be paid in saving certificates.

Currently, the BJMC has around 24,846 regular (permanent) workers and another nearly 30,000 temporary workers.

Besides, BJMC also will pay retirement benefits for 8,954 staffs and officials of state-owned mills.

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