Workers of the state-owned Alim Jute Mills Limited yesterday barricaded the Khulna-Jessore highway in front of the mill gate in Atra industrial area under Khanjahan thana in the city for an hour from 10am protesting the government move to privatise the mill, a workplace of around 2,000 workers.
As a result, a huge number of vehicles had to remain stranded at both the ends of the barricade. Under the banner of Alim Jute Mill Privatization Resistance Committee arranged the programme as part their ongoing movement demanding immediate cancellation of the move to privatise the state-owned jute mill.
When the barricade was on and the workers had been chanting slogans to press home their demands. The agitated workers’ threatened to go fresh agitation programme if demand was not met immediately.
The barricade followed by a rally at the same place with convener of the resistance committee Md Abdur Rashid presided over it.
The protesters while addressing the rally warned BJMC authorities of dire consequence if the jute mill is privatised. They urged BJMC to arrange adequate allocation of fund needed to run the jute mill for reaching production target buying raw materials.
Among others, former Jute Mill Workers’ Union president Saiful Islam Litu, former general secretary Md Hamid Sardar, member secretary of the resistance committee Md Babul Reza, treasurer of union Sheikh Md Zakaria, Mozammel Haque, spoke on the occasion.
The discussants said any move to privatise the state-owned jute mill would be strongly resisted at any cost and whatever the loss. Because, nearly 2,000 permanent and casual workers will loss jobs if the mill is privatised.
President of the Jute Mill Workers’ Union Md Abdus Salam Jamaddar said, “We are determined to resist any further move by BJMC to privatise any more state-owned jute mill on lame cause.”  He also said that among others they also brought out protest procession on June 11 wearing shrouds.
Officer-in-Charge of Khanjahan Ali police station Md Nasim Khan said they requested the workers to shorten their barricade time as it disrupted transport services on the highway creating sever traffic jam.