Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith on Wednesday said that the Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC) should be shut down and a jute cell could be opened in the ministry instead.

‘In the present situation there is no place for Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC). It should be shut down fully and there can be a cell on jute at the ministry. I officially told them but they don’t oblige. They are under the grip of BJMC,’ the minister said while unveiling a publication – Proyash-2018 – at the secretariat on Wednesday.

Muhith’s hard stance on BJMC came within two days of an allegation brought against him by State Minister for Textiles and Jute Mirza Azam at a city programme.

Mirza Azam on Monday alleged that it has not been possible to recognise jute as an agricultural product due to the negative attitude of Finance Minister AMA Muhith. ‘The Finance Minister has a negative attitude towards jute. This has also affected the entire Finance Ministry, hampering the development of jute,’ he said.

Referring to the comment of the state minister, Muhith today said ‘It’s his (Mirza Azam) personal opinion.’ The government is trying to revive jute sector, he added.

‘Since the beginning of BJMC, we have invested several thousand crores of Taka in jute sector and now we’re spending Tk 400 to 500 crore each year,’ said the finance minister.