Crescent Jute Mills
{{Short description|Jute mill in Bangladesh}}
{{Infobox organization
| name = Crescent Jute Mill
| image =
| motto =
| formation = 1956
| extinction =
| type =
| status =
| purpose =
| headquarters = Khulna, Bangladesh
| location =
| coords =
| region_served = Bangladesh
| members =
| language = Bengali
| website =
}}
Crescent Jute Mill ({{Langx|bn|ক্রিসেন্ট জুট মিলস}}) was the second largest jute mill in Bangladesh after Adamjee Jute Mills.{{Cite news |last1=Shah |first1=Jahangir |last2=Mondal |first2=Uttam |date=2023-08-06 |title=Crescent Jute Mill: Machineries being damaged, workers unemployed |url=https://en.prothomalo.com/business/local/qhe4ylrmi3 |access-date=2024-06-05 |work=Prothom Alo |language=en}} It was owned by Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation.{{Cite news |date=2022-09-08 |title=Leasing process of two state-owned jute mills at a standstill |url=https://www.tbsnews.net/economy/industry/leasing-process-two-state-owned-jute-mills-standstill-492358 |access-date=2024-06-05 |work=The Business Standard |language=en}}{{Cite news |date=2020-07-28 |title=State-owned jute mill workers in Khulna receive Tk43.5cr in arrears |url=https://www.tbsnews.net/economy/industry/state-owned-jute-mill-workers-khulna-receive-tk435cr-arrears-112759 |access-date=2024-06-05 |work=The Business Standard |language=en}}
History
Crescent Jute Mill was established in 1956 on 113 acres in Khulna District. It had 1100 looms imported from James Mackie & Sons. Crescent Secondary School was established for workers of the mill who lived in the workers colony located inside the premises of the mill. It was established with the support of Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_1Q8AAAAMAAJ&dq=Crescent+Jute+Mill&pg=RA1-PA86 |title=Pakistan |date=1953 |publisher=Pakistan Publications |pages=86 |language=en}} It received funding from the Aga Khan IV.{{Cite book |last=O'Sullivan |first=Michael |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gcvDEAAAQBAJ&dq=Crescent+Jute+Mill&pg=PA290 |title=No Birds of Passage: A History of Gujarati Muslim Business Communities, 1800–1975 |date=2023-09-19 |publisher=Harvard University Press |isbn=978-0-674-27190-6 |pages=290 |language=en}}
At the end of Bangladesh Liberation War, the Mukti Bahini entered Khulna on 17 December 1971 through the Crescent Jute Mill.{{Cite news |date=2023-12-16 |title=Victory arrived a day later in Khulna |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/victory-arrived-day-later-khulna-3496056 |access-date=2024-06-05 |work=The Daily Star |language=en}} Non-Bengali employees of the mill were killed during the war in the mill during violent confrontation between Bengalis and non-Bengalis.{{Cite book |last=Tubes |first=Urdu |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=52h_DwAAQBAJ&dq=Crescent+Jute+Mill&pg=PA90 |title=B&T: B&T |publisher=Urdu-Books-Tube |pages=89 |language=en}}{{Cite book |last=Saikia |first=Yasmin |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YdQaz1ddI-wC&dq=Crescent+Jute+Mill&pg=PA253 |title=Women, War, and the Making of Bangladesh: Remembering 1971 |date=2011-08-10 |publisher=Duke University Press |isbn=978-0-8223-5038-5 |language=en}} Ferdousi Priyabhashini, a Bengali employee of the mill and a Birangana, was kept in the mill and raped by Pakistan Army for the duration of the war.{{Cite book |last=Tripathi |first=Salil |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bcffCwAAQBAJ&dq=Crescent+Jute+Mill&pg=PA211 |title=The Colonel who Would Not Repent: The Bangladesh War and Its Unquiet Legacy |date=2016-01-01 |publisher=Yale University Press |isbn=978-0-300-21818-3 |pages=211 |language=en}}
In June 2008, workers of Crescent Jute Mill and Star Jute Mills protested outside the factories in Khulna demanding due wages.{{Cite news |date=2008-06-02 |title=Jute mill workers demand payment of arrears |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-39356 |access-date=2024-06-05 |work=The Daily Star |language=en}}
Workers at Crescent Jute Mill and eight other jute mills in Khulna went on strike with 11 demands.{{Cite news |date=2019-12-04 |title=Nine jute mills grind to a halt |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/backpage/news/nine-jute-mills-grind-halt-1835386 |access-date=2024-06-05 |work=The Daily Star |language=en}}
In July 2020, the government of Bangladesh closed the jute mill citing operating expenses and losses. The decision was criticized as it came during the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh.{{Cite news |last=Al-Amin |date=2020-07-04 |title=News Analysis: They don't deserve it |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/news/news-analysis-they-dont-deserve-it-1924845 |access-date=2024-06-05 |work=The Daily Star |language=en}} At the time of closure there were six thousand workers at the mill. Equipment and goods were stolen from the mill since its closure.{{Cite news |date=2020-09-21 |title=Nine shut jute mills in Khulna at security risk |url=https://www.tbsnews.net/economy/industry/nine-shut-jute-mills-khulna-security-risk-135547 |access-date=2024-06-05 |work=The Business Standard |language=en}} Jahangir Kabir Nanak, minister of jute and textile, in May 2024 said the government is exploring reopening closed jute mills including Crescent Jute Mill.{{Cite news |title=Govt is working to bring back glorious days of jute: Nanak |url=https://www.observerbd.com/news.php?id=473191 |access-date=2024-06-05 |work=The Daily Observer}}