Selim Reza with Tanvir Ahmed, Sirajganj :
Utter frustration is prevailing among the handloom weavers and owners of Shahjadpur, Belkuchi, Enayetpur, kazipur and Ullapara upazilas of Sirajganj district. The existence of the weaving industry in the district is currently under threat due to the abnormal price increase of raw materials of cotton, dyes and chemicals required for the production of the weaving industry. Already about half of the weaving industries of the area has been closed lack of proper patronization. As a result, being unemployed, thousands of weaving workers and owners are currently leading miserable life. If this situation continues, there is the possibility that the weaving industries of this region will shut down permanently soon.
According to information from various field sources, there are about one 2.5 lakh powerloom, handloom and pitloom in the district though the exact number has not been ascertained since there is no reliable census.
Several weavers said to this reporter, “The locally produced saree, lungi, dhoti, three-piece and towel having variety designs are of high quality and it has huge demand across the country. Besides, Sarees and lungi are exported to the Indian market through private patronization. Not only that, there are also demands of these products in different countries of the Middle East and they are also exported accordingly the weavers also said.”
Several owners of weaving factories claim that our country’s woven goods can be included in the list of export products as duty-free in many countries around the world. The socioeconomic status of the area is directly and indirectly dependent on the weaving industry. If the weaving cloth market is good, then the financial condition of the common people is good, and if there is a downturn in this market, then the economic condition of the people is also slow, they also added.
On roving various market places and hat it is noticed that, though the weavers are waiting arranging their clothes for sale but there is no presence of buyers and wholesalers whereas the seller is more than buyer. But even a few years ago, different clothes’ hats and market places were crowed with buyers and sellers. From these hats, large quantities of loom products were supplied in various parts of the country on a regular basis but the present scenario has changed drastically.
Ghulam Kibria Babu, owner of Fahim Textile Mill of Belkuchi upazila said, “The cost of all raw materials of weaving fabrics including cotton, dyes and chemicals are abnormally increased but in comparison the price of clothes has not been increased yet. On the other hand, there is a slowdown in the production and demand for locally produced loom products due to the illegal availability of substandard clothing from India in a low price.”
Weaving traders regret that the concerned authorities have no oversight in this regard. In this case, the small and marginal weavers of the area have already lost their current capital and have become unemployed. On the other hand, the condition of medium and large factory owners is also same. The weavers with little funds, who took loans from the moneylenders and banks, had to close their business as they failed to sustain with this adverse condition.
Loom owners like Hazrat Ali of Shahjadpur Municipality, Nurul Islam of Balsabari village of Ullapara, Mozammel Haque of Belkuchi Upazila, Aslam Ali of Enayetpur said, “There are about 25 million people involved in the weaving industry. Everyone used to run their business taking loans from banks, local associations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs). But now, with the decline in sales, everyone has begun to shut down their business.”
Utter frustration is prevailing among the handloom weavers and owners of Shahjadpur, Belkuchi, Enayetpur, kazipur and Ullapara upazilas of Sirajganj district. The existence of the weaving industry in the district is currently under threat due to the abnormal price increase of raw materials of cotton, dyes and chemicals required for the production of the weaving industry. Already about half of the weaving industries of the area has been closed lack of proper patronization. As a result, being unemployed, thousands of weaving workers and owners are currently leading miserable life. If this situation continues, there is the possibility that the weaving industries of this region will shut down permanently soon.
According to information from various field sources, there are about one 2.5 lakh powerloom, handloom and pitloom in the district though the exact number has not been ascertained since there is no reliable census.
Several weavers said to this reporter, “The locally produced saree, lungi, dhoti, three-piece and towel having variety designs are of high quality and it has huge demand across the country. Besides, Sarees and lungi are exported to the Indian market through private patronization. Not only that, there are also demands of these products in different countries of the Middle East and they are also exported accordingly the weavers also said.”
Several owners of weaving factories claim that our country’s woven goods can be included in the list of export products as duty-free in many countries around the world. The socioeconomic status of the area is directly and indirectly dependent on the weaving industry. If the weaving cloth market is good, then the financial condition of the common people is good, and if there is a downturn in this market, then the economic condition of the people is also slow, they also added.
On roving various market places and hat it is noticed that, though the weavers are waiting arranging their clothes for sale but there is no presence of buyers and wholesalers whereas the seller is more than buyer. But even a few years ago, different clothes’ hats and market places were crowed with buyers and sellers. From these hats, large quantities of loom products were supplied in various parts of the country on a regular basis but the present scenario has changed drastically.
Ghulam Kibria Babu, owner of Fahim Textile Mill of Belkuchi upazila said, “The cost of all raw materials of weaving fabrics including cotton, dyes and chemicals are abnormally increased but in comparison the price of clothes has not been increased yet. On the other hand, there is a slowdown in the production and demand for locally produced loom products due to the illegal availability of substandard clothing from India in a low price.”
Weaving traders regret that the concerned authorities have no oversight in this regard. In this case, the small and marginal weavers of the area have already lost their current capital and have become unemployed. On the other hand, the condition of medium and large factory owners is also same. The weavers with little funds, who took loans from the moneylenders and banks, had to close their business as they failed to sustain with this adverse condition.
Loom owners like Hazrat Ali of Shahjadpur Municipality, Nurul Islam of Balsabari village of Ullapara, Mozammel Haque of Belkuchi Upazila, Aslam Ali of Enayetpur said, “There are about 25 million people involved in the weaving industry. Everyone used to run their business taking loans from banks, local associations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs). But now, with the decline in sales, everyone has begun to shut down their business.”
