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Pabna Sugar Mill closed for over a year: Equipment being damaged


Published : 31 May 2022 07:55 PM

Sugar processing at Pabna Sugar Mill in Ishwardi, Pabna has been closed for over a year due to losses and debts. Billions of Tk worth of equipment of the mill is on the way to be destroyed due to the closure of sugar processing for a long time. After the decision to stop threshing, the Sugar Mill Workers-Employees and Sugarcane Federation agitated with various programmes demanding to keep the mill open but no initiative was taken to start the mill. Sugarcane growers have been in trouble with sugarcane cultivation and supply since the mill closed.

On December 2, 2020, Bangladesh Sugar and Food Industries Corporation (BSFIC) sent a letter to the Managing Director (MD) of Pabna Sugar Mills stating that sugar processing activities have been suspended in Pabna Sugar Mills in the 2020-21 season to reduce losses. 

Apart from Pabna Sugar Mill, five other mills were also given letters to suspend sugar processing activities. Sugar mill authorities say threshing has been stopped for now and the mill may be reopened.

According to Pabna Sugar Mill, Pabna Sugar Mill was established on December 26, 1992 on 60 acres of land in Pakuria Mouza of Dashuria Union of Ishwardi. The experimental production of the mill started in the Akhmarai season in the 1997-98 financial year. The mill started commercial production of sugar in 1998-99. Production deficit and loss started from the beginning. Since then, the mill has lost about 400 crore rupees.

Going to the spot, it can be seen that the situation inside the mill is absolutely silent. There is no rush of workers. There is no one to keep the administrative work going except a few employees including the MD. Sources related to the sugar mill said that the sugar mill has equipment worth around Tk 60 crore including sugarcane threshing plant. 

Due to not using it for a long time, various parts of threshing machine including boat, knife, crusher, boiler house, ruler, dryer are getting rusted and damaged. The source added that the number of permanent, temporary and seasonal workers in the mill was about 1,200. They have been linked to different matches. At present, the mill has a debt of around Tk 400 crore.

Shahjahan Ali Badsha, secretary general of the Bangladesh Sugar Mills Sugarcane Federation and president of the Pabna District Sugarcane Farmers' Association, said a closed mill was needed to continue production of sugarcane, one of the country's main cash crops, in the interest of farmers.

Pabna Sugar Mill Managing Director (MD) Saif Uddin said, "Sugar processing of the sugar mill has been closed for a year and a half. The officers and workers of the mill have been attached to other mills as per the instructions of the authorities. 

In response to a question, he said, "If the parts are not working, even a little bit is damaged."