The decision was taken yesterday at the first meeting of the 11-member convening committee, held in the Jute Ministry with State Minister for Jute Lutfar Rahman Khan Azad in the chair.

The committee was formed with the instruction of Prime Minister Khaleda Zia to reopen the laid-off jute mills after identifying their problems. The mills are People's Jute Mills, Star Jute Mills and Eastern Jute Mills.

State Minister for Power Iqbal Hasan Mahmud, Khulna City Corporation Mayor Sheikh Mohammad Toyobur Rahman, whip Asraf Hossain, M Ali Asgar Lobi MP, Prime Minister's Principal Secretary Kamal Uddin Siddiqui, Jute Secretary ASM Abdul Halim and BJMC chairman Mujibur Rahman were present in the meeting.

The meeting discussed the problems of People's, Star and Eastern Jute Mills in Khulna and Qaomi Jute Mills in Sirajganj.

The meeting also discussed ways to supply necessary funds to run the mills smoothly and make them breakeven or profitable.

Lutfar urged all concerned to bring an end to prevailing irregularity, mismanagement and corruption in the jute mills and turn them profitable by increasing production.