Ishwardi (Pabna) Correspondent :
With Eid in mind, life has returned to the Benarasi village of Ishwardi. Due to the Corona situation, Benaresi village has been lifeless for the last two years. In the meantime, many looms have closed down and the artisans have changed their jobs due to unemployment. However, ahead of Eid, there is a rush to make sari in Benarsi weaving village. Even though they have not worked for two years, now the artisans do not have time to catch their breath.
Fateh Mohammadpur in the country’s second-largest Benarasi Palli Ishwardi town was spotted on Friday (April 22nd), with thousands of artisans working in more than 300 factories.
In addition to the women workers, the wives of the nearby houses are also doing bead and handicraft work. Along with sari, lehenga and anarkali are being made for Eid. New varieties are also being brought in sarees. According to the artisans, bahari saris like Phulkali, Net Katan, Pure Katan, Belly Katan, Jamdani etc. are being made.
According to the local loom owners, with Eid in mind, about two thousand pieces of sari are being made from looms every week. In the shops of the divisional cities including Dhaka, the sarees are being sold for a minimum of 3.5 thousand and a maximum of 25 thousand taka. They are going to Dhaka, Rajshahi, Khulna, Kushtia, Natore, Tangail and other districts of the country.
Worker Munna said it takes a worker 3-4 days to make a sari. You can make two saris a week by working 12/14 hours daily. This time the demand for work is high so I have to work at night.
Businessman Jabed Hossain said that the demand for Benaresi sari is high this Eid, but it is not possible to supply sari as per the demand. Due to Corona, many people have changed their profession, so there has been a crisis of artisans. Now that the Eid trade is good, the activity in Benaresi village has increased.
Wakil Alam, president of Ishwardi Tanti Samiti and municipal councilor, said that it is better to sell to traders this Eid. The busyness of the artisans has increased. Having to work at night. Although colorful fabrics, designs and designs are woven here, the calendar has to be polished from Mirpur in Dhaka as there is no own calendar machine in this village. It is a waste of time. Not only time, but also the extra money has to be counted to reach the consumer level by calendars as per the demand.
Khandaker Obaidul Rahman Jilani Ittefaq, officer-in-charge of Benarsi Palli, and weavers of Benarsi Palli in Fateh Mohammadpur, Ishwardi are now busy. The craftsmen are working day and night as the demand for Benaresi is high this Eid. Benaresi village as well as various houses have their own looms. Hundreds of workers are also engaged in beading and embroidering on different types of sarees. He added that the weavers here have been given loans by the government. The weavers are running their business with ease with the help of these loans. Regarding the fact that Benaresi village does not have its own calendar machine, he said, the authorities have been informed about the calendar machine.
