Shital pati makers on the verge of extinction
Traditional shital pati makers in Tangail are on the verge of extinction due to increasing cost of raw materials and drastic fall in demand.
Besides, a lack of marketing facilities, government support and easy access to finance have only deepened their woes in the face of fresh lockdowns to curb the spread of Covid-19.
Shital patis are made of cane fibre that grows around water bodies. The mats feel cool to the touch, making them popular for home decoration during hot summer months.
The hindu community of several villages in the region, such as Hinganagar of Delduar upazila and Chatipara of Kalihati upazila, have been engaged in the 200-year-old industry for generations.
Just two decades ago, around 7,000 families in the two upazilas were involved in the industry but now the number is not more than 2,500, according to local mat makers.
Many craftsmen left the profession as profits shrivelled due to a hike in raw material costs and their workers' wages.
Although cane fibre is cultivated on around 1,000 acres of land in the Delduar and Kalihati upazilas, it has become difficult to cater to local demand due to the harvesting process.
Cane fibre can only be harvested four years after a plantation is established. However, the same plantation can continue to be harvested for the next 60 years, they said.
After the cane is harvested, it is sun-dried before being tied into bundles and submerged in water for two days.
The plant is then boiled with a dye and sun-dried once again.
Once this process is complete, the cane fibre is separated from the plant. The first layer of fibre is the best in quality and is used to weave 'lal patar pati', the highest quality mat.
The second layer is used to make bukai, which is of lower quality, they added.
People of all ages and genders are engaged in the industry as these mats can be weaved just about anywhere, from their homes or even on the streets.
But despite these various challenges, around 8,00 hindu families of Delduar's Hinganagar and Kamannapara villages are sticking to their ancestral profession.
Local mat makers produce different varieties and qualities of shital pati, which are artistically woven with various designs.
A lal patar pati or red leaves mat can be sold for up to Tk 1,500 while cheaper varieties such as bukai are priced around Tk 150 per piece.
During a recent visit, 11-year old Chandra Dey and 10-year-old Anonto Chandra Dey of Kamannapara village were seen separating cane fibre under a shed at their home.
They said they do the work to earn what they can to help out their impoverished families.
Shilpi Rani Dey, a housewife of Hinganagar village, said it takes two days to weave a shital pati, for which she gets Tk 150 as a wage.
"Most of the women in the village, including my in-laws, are engaged in the industry to earn for their families without sitting idle after completing household chores," Dey added.
Boloram Chandra Dey, a veteran mat maker of Kamannapara village, said he has been producing shital patis for about 65 years.
Dey chose to hang onto the ancestral profession as he knows no other trade.
"The demand for these mats was once very high, but now local producers are struggling to meet production costs," he added.
Subrata Dey, a 30-year-old weaver of the same village, said he was previously engaged in mat making full-time.
But now, he has opened up a grocery store and only makes mat during his free time in order to make ends meet.
"It is very difficult to maintain one's livelihood by just weaving mats. So, many of the local producers have chosen other professions," Dey added.
A market sets up on Tuesdays and Fridays in Kamannapara village, where local mat makers can sell their products.
Wholesalers and traders from all over the country come to the market to buy the mats in bulk.
For example, wholesaler Nandalal Dey, who hails from Sirajganj, said he buys shital patis from Tangail for sale at a number of other districts, including Jamalpur, Netrokona and Narsingdi.
He makes a profit of roughly Tk 200 from each mat depending on its quality.
"However, I sold less mats last year compared to the years before due to the Covid-19 pandemic," Dey said.
"Now the peak season [summer] has come again so I hope to sell a good number of mats if the situation does not further deteriorate," he added.
The wholesaler went on to say that the demand for shital pati has fallen in the past decade due to the influx of cheaper alternatives made from inferior materials, such as plastic.
When it comes to financing, local mat makers can avail loans between Tk 50,000 to Tk 1 lakh, according to Shahnaj Begum, assistant general manager of the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation's Tangail office.
"But it is not easy for them to repay the loans as they have poor incomes," Begum said.
Between 20 to 25 mat makers in Delduar have been provided these loans so far.
"We invite local mat makers to take part in our fairs to showcase their product but they show little interest, citing that the mats remain unsold at these fairs.
"We also thought about developing a one-stop sales centre in the town for them and also sent their names to an entrepreneurs' forum for online marketing," she added.
Veteran shital pati maker Nobokumar Dey of Hinganagar said securing a loan is not at all easy and it is not so effective in solving their problems.
"The authorities should first control the production of plastic products which are seriously harmful for the environment," he said.
On the other hand, the demand for environment-friendly products continues to rise all over the world.
"So the government and private organisations should think of installing innovation, arranging necessary training for the craftsmen and also creating markets at home and aboard," he added.
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