Crackdown on violators in 20 dists soon

The government will launch a crackdown shortly in 20 districts on violators of the mandatory jute packaging law.
State Minister for Textiles and Jute Mirza Azam said this on Thursday at a workshop at the city's jute diversification promotion centre.
He also said with the implementation of the law, the local use of jute bags will increase 70 per cent compared to the present amount.
The minister, however, said even if the implementation rate is 50 per cent, the jute bags export will reduce significantly.   
The officials of the Jute Department have to be serious about increasing the use of jute products, he added.
Textiles and Jute secretary Farid Uddin Ahmed Chowdhury, among others, was present at the programme.
The Jute Packaging Act 2010 was to be effective from January 01, 2014.
BSS report from Rangpur adds, speakers at a workshop have stressed for enhancing production and consumption of the eco-friendly diversified jute products.
They put emphasis on inspiring the private sector small-scale local entrepreneurs and providing them with capital, input and latest technologies for producing jute products to cut poverty through creating job opportunities for the unemployed youths.
Debi Chowdhurani Polli Unnayan Kendra (DCPUK), an NGO, organised the 'Lesson Learned Sharing Workshop' on SWITCH-Asia Promoting Sustainable Consumption & Production of Jute Diversified Products' Projection Wednesday at Mithapukur upazila parishad auditorium.
The NGO has been implementing the project in Rangpur and Kurigram under management of CARE Bangladesh and financial cooperation of the European Union since 2013 for promoting jute-based hand-loom industries involving local entrepreneurs.
Chairman of Mithapukur upazila parishad Zakir Hossain Sarker attended and addressed the workshop as the chief guest with Mithapukur Upazila Nirbahi Officer Mohammad Harun-Ar Rashid in the chair.
Mithapukur Upazila Agriculture Officer Khorshed Alam and Upazila Social Service Officer Mossarraf Hossain addressed the workshop as the special guests.
Team Leader of the SWITCH-Asia Programme Md. Mahmudullah delivered welcome speech while Project Director of DCPUK Abdus Samad delivered his inaugural speech narrating the project activities, goals and objectives of the day-long workshop.
Former President Pradip Kumar Goswami of Mithapukur Press Club, its Joint Secretary Biplob Rahman, President of Jute Growers' Group Marjina Begum, jute product producer Manjuara Begum and compost fertiliser producer Fatema Begun also spoke.
The private sector and small scale local entrepreneurs, beneficiaries of the project, jute growers, jute products producers, public representatives and civil society members participated in the workshop.
In their speeches, the speakers lauded the ongoing project activities in reviving the past glory of the eco-friendly jute fibre through promoting the jute-based hand-loom industries to increase diversified use and meet local need-based demand of jute products.
They calledfor encouraging the local entrepreneurs, especially the unemployed young women and women entrepreneurs, in setting up of the jute-based cottage and hand-loom ventures through providing assistance for expansion of local jute-based industries.
The chief guest urged the project implementation authorities for flourishing the local entrepreneurship and jute-based cottage industries to enhance production of diversified jute products and promoting marketing facilities to speed up rural uplift.
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