The government has allocated Tk 19.74 crore for the payments. Shamim Ahmed, zonal coordinator of Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC) and also general manager of Crescent Jute Mills, received the amount on Wednesday.

The same night, Khulna Deputy Commissioner Firoze Alam presided over a meeting where officials of the state-owned jute mills and the BJMC zonal office discussed modus operandi for the payments.

Tk 14,55,75,000 will be paid to 22,000 laid off employees of the four Jute mills, said BJMC Zonal Coordinator Shamim Ahmed.

Earlier on April 15, accumulated unpaid wages triggered a labour unrest at Crescent, Star, Peoples and Platinum Jubilee jute mills.

Workers of the four jute mills were laid off by order of BJMC chairman on April 19.

Between April 15 and April 21, over 200 people were injured when the workers fought pitched battles with law enforcers.

The law enforcers picked over 100 workers during nightlong raids in labour colonies on April 21 and April 22. Thousands of family members of the workers were forced out of their home by the law enforcers during this time. Seventy workers were shown arrested and sent to Khulna district jail.

Meanwhile, security forces were deployed yesterday in and around all state-owned jute mills, eight in total, to ensure peace and calm during the payments of the workers' arrears.

High officials of the jute mills, BJMC and the district administration are monitoring the payment process, said the BJMC zonal coordinator.