DHAKA: Finance Minister AMA Muhith has termed the movement of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson Khaleda Zia “just bogus”.

“The speech of Khaleda Zia will be continuing and her movements are just bogus,” he said.

The minister came up with the observation in response to a query in a meeting with Bangladesh Jute Goods Association (BJGA) delegation about lower investment in the country, at the ministry on Thursday.

He also said the incumbent government is ruling the country aptly and there is no uncertainty as well.

Admitting that the level of domestic investment is low, Muhith said, “I do not know the causes behind the lower investment. But I think some people are afraid of uncertainty.”

Addressing the program, BJGA chairman Kamrul Islam Khan said the jute mills get 10 percent incentives in exporting jute-made products, which contributed 60 percents of total jute export.

The BJGA members are in sufferings as they do not get cash support, the BJGA chairman added.

BJGA vice-chairman S Ahmed Majumder said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina always assured them to cooperate in increasing the use of jute products and its export.

He added: “We get little support from the Bangladeshi missions of the respective countries when the buyers block the payments.”

Ahmed said, moreover, after the shutting down of Adamjee Jute Mills, there was a rumor that Bangladesh had closed making jute products. This rumor held the country back.

He said Bangladesh is now producing almost 900,000 tonnes of jute products. Among this, 88 percent are being exported to the foreign countries and other 12 percent are used domestically.

The country earned Tk 1,600 crore from this sector in the last fiscal year.

BDST: 1831 HRS, OCT 30, 2014