Eighteen rice mills in Chandpur are on the verge of closure due to the growing dominance of corporate businesses, frequent power outages, and a shortage of paddy. According to local mill owners, three mills—Mokka Auto Rice, Topadar Auto Rice, and Baba Auto Rice—have already shut down, while fifteen others are operating intermittently. The Chandpur District Rice Mill Owners’ Association reported that corporate firms have captured the rice market through financial strength and advanced technology.

Association president Abdur Rahim Sarkar said that major companies such as City, Meghna, Bashundhara, Fuad, Pran, and Mojumdar now control both domestic and international rice sourcing and packaging, offering a wide range of consumer-friendly pack sizes. Local mills, limited to 25–50 kg sacks, cannot compete with these marketing strategies. Mill owners also cited insufficient local paddy supply, frequent power cuts, and dependence on crushers as key obstacles.

Owners warned that without government financial incentives and measures to curb corporate dominance, the remaining mills may soon close, leaving around two thousand workers unemployed.