639 ংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্রঃ ত্রয়োদশ খন্ড working at more than 50% of their previous levels; and these firms, many of which are expatriate-owned and most of which are relatively capital-intensive, are not now selling all of their output, and may be forced to shut down due to insufficient demand and storage space if the dislocation of the economy continues much longer. 44. As stated previously, physical damage was relatively slight and the major problems confronting the industrial sector are those of labor, management, finance, transport and demand. In most factories visited, less than half the labor forced had returned to work. In many cases, the figure was as low as 10 to 15 per cent. Low attendance is further aggravated by the small proportion of trained workers among the returnees. There has been some movement back to the factories during the past few weeks; however the movement has been gradual and sporadic. Hindu workers often constituting a large proportion of the skilled labor force are unlikely to return, and others will be slow to return because of such factors as the destruction of laborers’ colonies, the continuing search of workers buses by the Army and the massive presence of the Army near many industrial centers. At the same time, the appearance around factories in recent weeks of posters threatening workers with retaliation by the insurgents if they work too hard and the receipt by employees of letters containing a similar message, have in some areas (e.g., Ghorasal and Chittagong) reversed the flow of workers and reduced still further the productivity of those remaining. 45. In many factories, non-Bengalis have constituted a high proportion of management and supervisory staff. Some of these were killed and many more fled during the disturbances, and are returning only at a slow rate. To find satisfactory replacements for those who have been killed or have chosen not to return will be a very difficult task. 46. Disruption of transport and commerce is affecting most industries and factories by restricting movement of raw materials and supplies as well as finished products. 47. For the jute industry in particular, obstacles to the normal supply of raw jute to the mills do not as yet pose a serious constraint, as the months of April through June normally coincide with the phasing out of the crop year and a seasonal slackening of raw jute movements: furthermore, most mills-except for a few special cases-appear to have sufficient stocks for three to four months' normal operation. Also, with some effort and support by the authorities (which in the case of jute is particularly emphasized), adequate transport facilities can probably be arranged for the small quantities currently being produced. Thus, transport at present does not appear to be a crucial constraint to jute production: it is, however, already a problem for the movement of the remainder of the last jute crop from secondary markets to terminals as well as for exports of raw jute and jute goods. The outlook for the coming season (to start in July/August) is not encouraging and the lack of transport may well pose a serious problem for the jute industry as a whole in the period ahead. 48. For the tea industry, transport is already a serious problem. In the event that plucking is resumed on any scale. POL will be needed for internal movement on the estates and to operate the factories. This is now in short supply, and resupply is a serious problem. Sylhet is virtually isolated so far as land transport is concerned. Both the
