Abul Khair Group reopens 4 jute mills, employs 15,000

Abul Khair Group has reopened four closed jute mills in Faridpur and Kushtia, creating employment opportunities for around 15,000 workers.

Sheikh Shabab Ahmed, head of corporate affairs and legal at Abul Khair Group, said the company decided to revive existing closed mills instead of setting up new factories, as the jute products business is capital-intensive.

“As part of our recent entry into the jute business, we have reopened four closed private-sector jute mills. This has created employment for 15,000 people across the four factories,” he told the media on Thursday.

The group has also applied to take over three to four closed jute mills owned by the government, he said.

Shabab said the company plans to produce higher-value and value-added jute products, noting that Bangladeshi jute is of high quality and has strong demand as an environmentally friendly product.

“We believe this investment will contribute, even indirectly, to improving the livelihoods of jute farmers,” he said.

Abul Khair Group has set a target of exporting 80,000 tonnes of jute yarn and other jute products annually from the four mills.

The group is also targeting exports worth around Tk15,000 crore in jute yarn and jute products by December 2026. Its products are being exported to Turkey, China and other countries.