Private jute millers have sought to take multiple measures against frequent violations of the 'Mandatory Jute Packaging Act-2010' across the country, sources say.
They claim commodities are being sold, transported, imported and exported, discounting the law by using artificial sacks and bags instead of jute-made ones.
The sources maintain that the government authorities concerned have failed to check violation for inaction at different levels to ensure the use of jute sacks.
Recently, the millers have requested the government to take necessary steps to this effect.
The Bangladesh Jute Mills Association (BJMA) urges 12 state agencies, including commerce, textile and jute, agriculture, industries, food and law ministries, for action to ensure compliance with the law.
It calls for ensuring compliance with the law and relevant rules by businesses to save the jute industry from being a "sick industry" and the environment.
The government made the 'Mandatory Jute Packaging Act 2010' that framed the Jute Packaging Rules-2013 (as amended till 2018).
The use of jute sacks and packs are mandatory for preserving and transporting 19 to protect the environment from using the all kinds of artificial package, according to the BJMA.
The commodities include paddy, rice, wheat, maize, fertiliser, sugar, spices, turmeric, onion, ginger, garlic, coriander, pulses, potato, flour, crude flour, rice bran, poultry feed and fish feed.
The government stipulates obligatory use of jute bags for packaging agro-products to boost use of the golden fibre following the anti-dumping duty imposed by India on Bangladeshi jute goods.
The law aims to boost the country's dying jute sector and prevent the environment from getting polluted by widespread use of synthetic bags in packaging goods, reads the BJMA letter.
Jute is a major cash crop for over 3.0-million small farm households, producing about one-third of manufacturing output, and the largest agricultural export commodity in Bangladesh.
The livelihood of an estimated 50-million people is dependent on jute-related activities in agriculture, domestic marketing, manufacturing and trade.
The jute industry was the life blood of economy for several decades and continues to be one of the mainstays of the rural economy of Bangladesh even today, according to a BJMA document.
About 15-million farmers are involved in growing this cash crop and several million people are involved with its processing, transportation and other services.
Polythene as a material reduces the fertility of soil, kill marine animals and disrupt the drainage system.
On the other hand, one hectare of jute plants intake over 15 tonnes of carbon dioxide during 120 days of cultivation period.
Jute bags are strong, durable and reusable. Jute industries started declining due to the onslaught of polythene bags, the BJMA letter cites.
"Although it's named as 'Mandatory Jute Packaging Act', we're experiencing inaction on part of the law-enforcement agencies in implementing the instant law on mandatory basis in the country."
The mandatory use of jute bags can bring back golden days of the jute sector and stop the illegal trading of plastic shopping bags, said BJMA chairman Abul Hossain.
The export volume of raw jute and jute products was $887.06 million during the period of July to March, down by 6.69 per cent than the same period last fiscal year, according to the Export Promotion Bureau.
Bangladesh fetched $1.16148 billion by exporting raw jute and jute goods in fiscal year 2020-21.
It was $882.35 million in fiscal year 2019-20, discloses the data of the bureau.
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