The National Committee to Protect State-owned Sugar Mills has announced a ‘Ministry of Industries Siege’ program for March 31, demanding the immediate reopening of six state-owned sugar mills that were shut down during the previous Awami League administration.

The announcement came during a press conference held at the Jatiya Press Club on Saturday. To build momentum for the siege, the committee also declared a series of protest demonstrations to be held across all functional and closed sugar mills through March.

Addressing the press conference, committee leaders expressed frustration over the lack of progress. Central Convener Kamruzzaman Firoz noted that during a November 2024 meeting between Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and leaders of the National Ganofront and National Mukti Council, a decision was reached to modernize and reopen the six shuttered mills.

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While an official ordinance was later issued to facilitate the reopening, the committee alleges that the Ministry of Finance has failed to allocate the necessary funds. Instead, instructions were reportedly issued to suspend sugarcane crushing operations.

The committee issued an ultimatum to the current interim government, highlighting three primary demands:

Immediate Reopening: Restarting the six closed mills to protect local economies.

Anti-Corruption Measures: Ending systemic corruption within the sugar industry.

Modernization: Upgrading the outdated infrastructure of state-run mills to ensure long-term viability.

The written statement was read by Joint Convener Nur Rahman Polash. Notable attendees included Tipu Biswas, President of the National Krishak Khetmajur Samiti; Faizul Hakim, Central Coordinator of the National Mukti Council; and various CBA leaders from the Bangladesh Sugar and Food Industries Corporation (BSFIC).

The speakers emphasized that the livelihoods of thousands of farmers and workers depend on these mills. They warned that if the government does not take visible steps toward modernization and funding by the March 31 deadline, the siege will proceed as planned.

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