KUSHTIA, May 21: Kumarkhali, an upazila of the district, has attained fame for 'lungi' across the country.
There developed about around 4,000 power looms and some 30,000 hand looms which are in operation in the upazila.
A total of nearly 1, 75,000 people supporting about one million family members, are directly or indirectly related to these factories.
These textiles are situated mainly at Panti, Koya, Kalua, Shilaidah, Gopagram, Biyara and Amlabria in the upazila.
Rana Textile, Eastern Fabrics, Bulbul Textile, etc are remarkable among about 200 small-medium textiles here. Rana Textile got prize in International Commerce Fair in Dhaka.
All the textile factories owners belong to tanti (weaver) community.
Sources said a handloom lungi weaver gets Tk. 40 for per piece and he/she can weave 4-6 pieces a day whereas a power loom operator is paid Tk 20 for per piece of lungi and can make 7 to 8 pieces of it daily.
Lungis of Kumarkhali sell at Tk. 550 to Tk. 1400 for four pieces, bed sheets at Tk. 250 to Tk. 1000 per piece, towel at about Tk. 200 (rarely sold), napkins at Tk. 30 to Tk. 100 per piece. Haji Abdur Rafik, proprietor of Bulbul Textile, said load-shedding is a great obstacle for production that hinders marketing of their products and makes problems including irregularities in payment of the employees.
Md. Masud Rana, director, Rana Textile told this correspondent that with the passage of time, textile industries could not flourish in the region due to various reasons. There is no big modern dying machine here which may cost Tk. 500 million. But it can accommodate around 2,000 textile factories. These factories are not financed here by the banks as per their needs. Lack of supply of gas is also a big obstacle to production of cloths.
Mayor Md Samsuzzaman Arun of Kumarkhali municipality said if the proposed Lalon Mazar-Tebaria Bridge on the river Gorai is materialised customers from southern districts can easily come to Kumarkhali.
Bhabotosh Halder, liaison officer, Bangladesh Tant Board, Basing Centre, Kumarkhali, emphasised high-tech machines and proper training for the weavers.
