Nine out of the 15 mills under the Bangladesh Sugar and Food Industries Corporation (BSFIC) will start their seasonal operations with the crushing of sugarcane from December 10, decided a virtual inter-ministerial meeting on Sunday.

The remaining six will stay shut till further notice for the implementation of a Tk 5,000 crore modernisation and product diversification project, according to an industries ministry statement.

While mills of Shyampur, Panchagarh, Setabganj, Rangpur, and Kushtia undergo the commercial viability and economic life enhancements for the reduction of their losses, their workers will be employed at the operational nine.

Moreover, sugarcane of farmers of the catchment areas of the six will also be procured.

The inter-ministerial meeting was presided over by Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, State Minister for Industries Kamal Ahmed Majumder, State Minister for Labour and Employment Begum Monnujan Sufian and parliament member of the constituencies concerned were present.

The BSFIC will implement the project through a joint venture with investments from Thai Exim Bank and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation and expertise of Thailand-based Sutek Engineering Company.

The two banks have started feasibility studies on the state-run sugar mills but progress has been slightly slow due to the ongoing pandemic.

According to the new plan, the BSFIC's distilleries will produce spirits and alcohols, biofertiliser and electricity as by-products of sugar production.

However, mill workers have demanded all the plants be kept running at least for this season so as to ensure that all the produce of farmers get sold.

"If the mill do not run, where will the farmers sell their sugarcane, as it is not like food grain that can be sold anywhere," said the general secretary of Pabna Sugar Mill Workers Union, Md Ashrafuzzaman Uzzal.

He said they would observe two hours' work abstention every day and hold demonstrations over their demands until December 15.

The demand has been forwarded to the prime minister, said the general secretary of Bangladesh Chinikal Ankh Chasi Federation, Md Shahajahan Ali Badsha.

Farmers will face acute losses if there is a reduction in sugarcane purchase by the government for the mills, he said.

According to him, there are at least 2 lakh sugarcane farmers in the northern part of the country.