Monday | 13 January 2025 | Reg No- 06
বাংলা
   
Monday | 13 January 2025 | Epaper

Handloom industry at Santhia set to disappear

Published : Saturday, 7 May, 2022 at 12:00 AM  Count : 974
Jalal Uddin
The photo shows a closed handloom at Santhia. photo: observer

The photo shows a closed handloom at Santhia. photo: observer

SANTHIA, PABNA, May 6: Handloom industry in Santhia  Upazila of the district  is set to disappear. Weavers said, they did not see so jeopardy in the last 40 years.
Prices of raw materials of handlooms, such as yarn, dye, and chemical, are on the rise in Santhia Upazila of the district.
Most handloom factories in ten unions and one municipality of the upazila have got closed due to the price hike of raw materials and lack of necessary patronisation.   
According to field sources, many members of the weavers have turned workless. Their families are passing a miserable life. Most of them are selling out their houses and lands to continue loss-incurred living.
Leaving their forefathers' profession, many weavers are shifting to agriculture, businesses, garments factory, rickshaw-pulling and day-earning. Even indebted handloom families are leaving their villages along with their wives and children. Once, villagers would wake up due to sounds of handloom factories in the morning. Now these villages have turned resilient.
According to sources at Handloom Board-BASIC Centre-Santhia, in 2017, there were about 8,000 handlooms in the upazila. At present, the number has stood at 4,000 after closing. The handloom owners were 2,000. Now they are 1,362.
There were about 4,000 men and women handloom labourers. Now they are only 2,000. Others have changed their profession.
In 2004 flood, about 8,000 handloom factories were harmed. Cloths, yarns and other materials were inundated. Handloom owners lost all. Later on, they tried to turn around by re-starting their looms at loan money. But they could not stand around. Rather, they became indebted again due to unabated losses. Later on, they got hostage to money lenders, so-called mahajans.
Affected handloom proprietors and labourers in different handloom villages of Santhia including Karogor Para, Chhemchnia, Aftabnagar, Sonatala, Karamja, Kashinathpur, Daramuda, Nariadagai, Dhopadaha, Tentulia,  Piadaha, Satiakola, Nagdemra, Selanda, Dhulauri, Daharjani, Biloslongi, Nariagda, Haludghor, Mahmudpur, and Ganguahati said, compared to last years, the present prices of yarn, dye and chemical have increased two/three times.
At present, per tola (10 grams)  of yarn is selling at Tk 42 against previous price Tk 8. Per one dope (8.5 bundles) of 40-count Ranak Yarn is selling at Tk 20,000 against previous price Tk 11,000, Delta Doel per dope is selling at Tk 23,000 against previous price Tk 13,000, and one bundle yarn which was selling at Tk 1,500 is now selling at Tk 2,900.
One year back, 62-count yarn was selling at Tk 15,000. Now it is selling at Tk 27,000, 82-count yarn is selling at Tk 35,000/36,000 against previous Tk 18,000/19,000.
Several months back, per pound Crown Yarn was selling at Tk 135, and now it is selling at Tk 240. Per bundle processed yarn is selling at Tk 2,600 against previously Tk 1,500.
Because of these raw material prices, Lungi and Saree manufacturing costs have gone up. But their prices did not increase proportionally.
Per thaan (four pieces) Lungi price of Tk 700 has increased by only Tk 100 to 150. Weavers said, they have fallen in a dilemma.
A recent visit to houses of handloom owners found one or two looms running while most of these closed or plastered with dust. At the same time, devastated conditions were seen in their families.
Loom owners said, there were three types of handlooms, such as Khatkhati, Pitloom, and Chittaranjan machines. It would cost Tk 6,000 to make these. Now these are selling at Tk 1,200.
It requires Tk 1.20 lakh to make an auto-powerloom while Bangla powerloom at Tk 45,000.
In the face of hardship, many are selling their machines to Bhangri shops at a nominal price of Tk 10,000/12,000.
Altaf Hossain, 50, said, "I can't leave the village. So I am making jute net. But I am not used to this work. I am earning Tk 50-100 per day. It is too poor earning to run family."
He added, it is bad luck and shame to change profession this way.
Another Hafizur Rahman Lal of Santhia Municipality said, "Our forefathers' business is no longer in existence. Lungi, Gamcha, and Saree are getting poor prices in bazaars. It is not possible for us to keep up the profession by counting loss."
Most of the handlooms were found closed in the handloom village of the municipality.
Ibrahim, Bahadur, Alim, Selim, Iqbal, Awal, Masum, Ilias and others fell in trap of NGOs, and changed the profession. Some of them are doing work of mason while others are driving van, selling Chitai Pita, Jhalmuri, or doing business of Bhangari (waste items).
Liaison Officer of the Bangladesh Handloom Board-Santhia Shah Alam confirmed the price hike of yarn, dye and chemicals.
He said, many are changing profession due to loss; after taking loan from the board, many have gone to other places; so loan recovery rate of the board has decreased; and those who are still continuing can't pay instalments as they are counting losses in sale.
"From our office, loan of Tk 50,000 is given for SA loom, Tk 30,000 for Pit loom, and Tk 60,000 for Jamdani or Benarashi loom."
President of Ward No.7, 8, 9 Primary Handloom Samity Raham Ali said, "Our association's 310 members had 800 looms. Of these, 400 looms have got closed due to increased prices of dye and chemicals."
To stay on their forefathers' profession, the weavers demand incentives like yarn subsidy. They also want soft loan like farmers getting agriculture loan with two per cent interest.







LATEST NEWS
MOST READ
Also read
Abdul Aziz gets success in farming China orange
Road mishaps claim four lives in four districts
Poor people get blankets in Noakhali
Coconut price soars in Laxmipur
127 detained on different charges in seven districts
‘Girls Get Equal’ helps decrease early marriage in Barguna
Two females 'commit suicide' in Noakhali, Mymensingh
Seven people found dead in five districts
Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury
Published by the Editor on behalf of the Observer Ltd. from Globe Printers, 24/A, New Eskaton Road, Ramna, Dhaka.
Editorial, News and Commercial Offices : Aziz Bhaban (2nd floor), 93, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000.
Phone: PABX- 41053001-06; Online: 41053014; Advertisement: 41053012.
E-mail: district@dailyobserverbd.com, news©dailyobserverbd.com, advertisement©dailyobserverbd.com, For Online Edition: mailobserverbd©gmail.com
🔝
close