At least 1084 workers of five out of eight state-owned jute mills in Khulna-Jessore industrial belt have been served with termination notices with effect from Monday (June 4).

The termination notices were issued on order from the chairman of Bangladesh jute Mills Corporation (BJMC).

Names of terminated workers, mostly in sacking sections of the five mills, were hung on notice boards yesterday.

The notices were signed by project directors of the respective jute mills. An uneasy calm was prevailing in Khalishpur industrial belt yesterday. Labour leaders at the mills declined to make any comment and said they were watching the situation.

Motahar Uddin, regional convener of jute mill workers union, said the situation is moving towards closure of jute mills though there is scope to run those profitably.

The retrenchment has been done due to decline in production following severe load shedding, crisis of fund and workers' refusal to join works without full payment of their arrear wages and benefits for the lay-off period, said BJMC Zonal Coordinator Shamim Ahmed.

One hundred sixty-eight permanent workers out of the 1084 were also served with termination notices Monday evening, the zonal coordinator said.

The terminated workers belonged to Cresent Jute Mills, Platinum Jubilee Jute Mills, Star Jute Mills, Aleem Jute Mills and Eastern Jute Mills.

Earlier on Sunday night, project directors of the five jute mills held separate meetings with officials of joint forces and Khulna Metropolitan Police (KMP) Commissioner on ways to tackle the situation in case of any violence following termination of workers. There is no possibility of any of these five jute mills to go into production as workers are staying away in demand for arrear wages, withdrawal of lay-off notices and payment for the lay-off period, Shamim Ahmed said.

He said violence may erupt again in the entire industrial belt.

The termination notices were issued under sections 7 and 20 of Bangladesh Labour Law without giving any indication about payment of their arrear wages, Shamim said.

Meanwhile, security forces were deployed in front of the mills yesterday in apprehension of violence.