December 13, 2002	Friday	Shawwal 8, 1423

DHAKA, Dec 12: The government of Begum Khaleda Zia is poised to shut down, and then privatize, nearly one hundred state-owned mills and factories, retrenching hundreds of workers and employees.

The government has also decided to offload shares of eight state-owned enterprises.

The privatization commission, which is assigned to supervise the process of disinvestment, is now assessing the assets and values of those industrial units up for grabs for local and foreign nationals.