BSS, Faridpur :
A silent revolution has taken place in weaving industry when a handful of weavers have successfully ventured to make ‘Jamdani Muslin’ sarees both for domestic consumption and also for exporting and thus Faridpur has curved out a distinct place in traditional Bangladeshi Jamdani.
An on the spot survey revealed that a few years back some vibrant youths of village Sotashi of Boalmari upazilla of this district went to ‘Narayanganj Jamdani Polli’ in search of livelihood. Luckily they found jobs in some Jamdani weaving factories.
The youths worked there for few years. Initially they were given very poor wage as learners but after they attained efficiency they were paid Taka 4 to 5 thousand per month. But this income and their inert enterprising spirit could not satisfy their quest to be big and famous both from monetary point and also from the point of innovations.
They started dreaming of setting up independent weaving machine in Narayanganj, but the local weavers strongly opposed their attempts to set up factories at Narayanganj Jamdani Polli.
It seemed that this denial kindled their inspiration to set up Jamdani factory independently. Of them Md. Taibur Rahman Biswas,19 and Towhid Biswas, 20 returned to their village Sotashi with a strong determination to set up Jamdani Muslin saree factory.
Accordingly they transferred their technological know -how and trainings to their own younger brothers and even sisters through setting up one machine. Meanwhile Taibur Biswas has set up five weaving machines along with his own brothers and sisters and weaving Jamdani of high quality each costing from minimum 4 thousand to 10 thousand varying quality.
They can produce at least four sarees in a month. However they have increased their working hour in view of upcoming Eid festival.
Similarly, Towhid Biswas has also set up eight weaving machines engaging his own sisters and brothers.
Taibur and Towhid disclosed to some visiting journalists from this district town that each saree requires silk (Resham) thread costing about Taka 8 hundred. Each saree weighs about 2.50 kilogrammes to 3 kgs. Each Tola of specialized silk thread required for designing is procured from Narayanganj at the rate of Taka 45 to Taka 60. Other accessories are bought from Narayanganj.
Excluding the expenditure of making a saree the profit is equally shared between the manufacturing labour and the owner. Admitting the fact that some minor school children work here as assistants and helpers who get wages as per work which help them in prosecuting their studies. They generally work after or before school hour, Towhid said.
The entrepreneur Taibur Biswas said their products are exported as it has no demand in the local markets. As there is no local demand they are to sell their products to middlemen (Fariya) in Narayanganj. If local markets could be created then this rich traditional Jamdani industry would have been flourished more.
Towhid Biswas informed that at the very initial stage of this venture they had to take loans from micro-credit lenders mainly NGOs with high rate of interest as a result it is difficult to make much profit at this stage.
He urged upon the government authorities to come forward and provide financial support to make the industry more profitable and for its proper flourishment.
