Sugarcane farmers held a rally in Kushtia demanding the reopening of the sugar mill. The rally, organized by the Kushtia Sugar Mills Limited Sugarcane Farmers Welfare Association, was held Saturday (Sept. 5) morning at the mill’s main gate, demanding the reopening of the mill, which was suspended in 2020.
Presided over by Sugarcane Farmers Welfare Association president Alam Hossain Malitha, BNP national executive committee member Barrister Ragib Rauf Chowdhury said in his remarks as chief guest, “Kushtia Sugar Mill isn’t just an institution; it is an important establishment directly tied to the livelihoods of thousands of sugarcane farmers, workers, employees and their families in this region.”
He said, “It is deeply unfortunate that the Awami League government, since ousted amid accusations of authoritarian rule, shut down this mill in 2020. As a result, thousands of people became unemployed. Reopening Kushtia Sugar Mill is now a demand of the times to relieve unemployment and the hardship of sugarcane farmers in this region and to strengthen the local economy.”
He added, “The current government is determined to reopen all closed mills and factories across the country. If the current government can create the opportunity to properly produce sugar and other sugar-related products at set prices by reopening the mill, Kushtia Sugar Mill will become a profitable enterprise. I will provide all-out cooperation toward reopening this sugar mill.”
Special guests included Kushtia district BNP’s former vice president, Bashirul Alam Chand; former organizing secretary Shamim Ul Hasan Apu; Mirpur upazila BNP general secretary Khandaker Tipu Sultan; Bheramara upazila BNP member secretary Shahjahan Ali; Poradaha union BNP president Khandaker Omar Faruq Kuddus; and general secretary Khandaker Mehedi Hasan Palash, among others.
The event was conducted by sugarcane farmers Abdul Kuddus and Kamruzzaman Mithun.