HATIRDIA (Narayanganj): Mr Wahiduzzaman, the Central Commerce Minister, said yesterday (Dec 22) that the Government would not hesitate to “nationalise the jute industry and trade if it was found that its present policy was made ineffective due to the misleading propaganda of those opposing the Government”.

Mr Wahiduzzaman was addressing a large public meeting here on the Hatirdia High School ground. He said some people were indulging in making propaganda detrimental to the interest of the jute growers and that of the entire nation.

“The Government will take any step and, if necessary, complete nationalisation of the jute industry and the jute trade to improve the lot of the poor jute growers,” he said.

The Commerce Minister said that like the previous Governments “we will not be guided by profiteering motive of big business concerns at the cost of poorer section”. The Government was determined to bring about all-round development of the rural areas of the country, he said.

Explaining the role of President Ayub in this regard Mr Wahiduzzaman said it was the President who for the first time categorically pointed out the existing disparity in development between the two wings of the country.—Agencies