Post-Eid drive to ensure use of jute bags

The government will soon launch a crackdown on non-users of jute bags to ensure mandatory use of jute sacks for packaging foodstuff and agricultural produce under the existing Jute Packaging Act.
The authorities will launch mobile court drives in mills, factories and other spots across the country soon after the Eid-ul-Fitr to monitor compliance with the mandatory use of jute bags.
The Ministry of Textiles and Jute at a meeting of its advisory committee last week took the decision in a bid to promote the compulsory use of jute bags the country. Presided over by state minister Mirza Azam, the meeting also directed rice millers and traders to clear up their stock of plastic bags within the month of Ramadan.
Although the government enacted the 'Mandatory Jute Packaging Act' in October 2010, it was not implemented due to the absence of the rules. The government enacted the packaging law to increase the use of environment-friendly jute goods instead of polythene or polypropylene bags.
The absence of rules hindered implementation of the guidelines enshrined in the Jute Policy for augmenting the use of environment-friendly jute products at home and abroad. In June 2013, the government framed the rules detailing the use of jute bags and sacks for packaging listed products.
To promote the use of jute bags for packaging foodstuff and agricultural produce, the ministry issued a circular in September 2013, making it mandatory for private rice mill owners to use 100 per cent jute bags for packaging under the Jute Packaging Law. The circular also instructed the Ministry of Food (MoF) to go for 100 per cent use of jute bags for packaging paddy, rice and wheat. Fertiliser factories, the Sugar and Food Corporation, as well as private sugar mills were directed to use jute bags for 50 per cent of their products.
But all these are proving mere eyewash formalities with no sign that the government has any interest to enforce the much trumpeted law. In December, the home ministry included the Mandatory Jute Packaging Act in the schedule of offences cognizable for the mobile courts. According to the act, if any stakeholder violates the law, he or she will be jailed up to one year or fined Tk 50,000 or both the penalties will be applicable considering the degree of his/her non-compliance.  
The meeting, attended by most of the stakeholders including related ministries and governor of Bangladesh Bank, also informed that notices were served to all district authorities and concerned organisations to take proper steps to implement the law accordingly.  
"If implemented properly, the use of jute will increase several times," said Bangladesh Jute Mills Association secretary Barik Khan adding that implementation of the law would help increase domestic demand and thus provide support to farmers to withstand the fall in prices. If the law is implemented successfully, total domestic consumption of jute bags will stand at 450 million pieces yearly, according to ministry sources.
To implement the law, the textiles and jute ministry initially planned to ensure the use of jute sacks by state agencies BADC, Department of Food, Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation and Bangladesh Sugar and Food Industries Corporation.