The rise of Thanapara

L-R: Women are at work in the weaving section of production at TSDS. Most women are from families affected in the war of 1971.A glimpse into the TSDS showroom in Thanapara, Rajshahi. Right, Some of the first workers are still involved in development work.insetRaihan Ali Photo: Anwar Ali

They want to work, they don't want aid.” Safia Minney, founder of UK's biggest fashion company People Tree, was quoted as saying as she was upholding the dignity of the handloom and garment workers of Thanapara Swallows Development Society (TSDS) at Charghat of Rajshahi.
UK's the Daily Mail published her visit to Charghat in August 2008 where Minney was also quoted as telling the workers: “People Tree is not a charity. People in Britain will not buy our fashion because they feel sorry for you. They will only buy our clothes if they are beautiful and well made.”
People Tree has been buying products of TSDS for over a decade. People Tree of UK and Fair Trade Company of Japan are the biggest buyers of TSDS products. The major products include handloom textiles such as shirts, tops, skirts, trousers, children's wear, nakshi kantha, cushions, cushion covers, sofa covers, bed covers, embroidered punjabis, T-shirts, fatuas, wall hangers, embroidered bags, purses, saris and women's three-piece wear.
Around 80 percent of TSDS products are exported to a total 13 international organisations from 12 countries. TSDS sells products to Swallows Finland, Helena & Mette in Denmark, The Swallows and Melonia of Sweden, Fair Cooperation, Roba Dell and Commercio Alternativo in Italy, Emmaus of France, Fair Trade Korea, and Alternative 3 of Spain.
Its sales in fiscal 2010-11 were recorded at its highest ever of $156,665.
The rest 20 percent of its products are sold locally. Some of its major local buyers are Sopura Silk Mills Ltd, KARIKA, Probortona Ltd, Aranya Craft Dhaka, Action Bag Handicraft of Nilphamari and Buyer Group of Rangpur.
Beyond such colourful stories of success, TSDS has its roots embedded in the history of the Liberation War of 1971. Police personnel and the local people of Thanapara jointly created resistance against the Pakistani army and helped the Hindus leave the country.
Later, when the Pakistani army managed to reach Rajshahi, they wanted to punish the dwellers of Tanapara. The fateful day was April 13 when the 'hanadars' attacked the village. With help of local collaborators, the Pakistani army captured over a hundred males, some say around 300, and killed them all by firing. The bodies were all burnt later. Hardly any male survived that day, leaving behind a village of only women and children.
Two years after independence, the Swedish philanthropist couple Roy Zohansen and Anita Andersen, on behalf of Swallows Development Society, a Swedish non-government organisation, came to Thanapara to help the women of the area.
Eminent historian Dr Muntasir Mamun, in an article published in The Daily Prothom Alo on November 1, 1999, mentioned TSDS to be the country's first nongovernmental organisation (NGO). He also referred to Bangabandhu for his role in the rehabilitation of the women and children of Thanapara. Bangabandhu witnessed the Thanapara tragedy in 1972 and the next year, the Swallows of Sweden came. However, TSDS Executive Director Raihan Ali informed national leader AHM Qamaruzzaman, who was also the relief and rehabilitation minister then, directly played a role in sending the aid group to Thanapara.
The Swedish Swallows first distributed food and relief to the affected families; they set up a clinic for health care. Getting over their primary shock, the widows demanded their rehabilitation through jobs, not aids. Acting on their appeal, the philanthropists helped them form a cooperative society of handicrafts for sustainable development and then a school for the education of their children. In this way, the organisation started rehabilitating persons, mostly women, from 36 war-affected families.
Although the number of war-affected widows has come down to only eight at present, most of the 250 workers are from 30 war-affected families. Many of them are common widows, helpless poor women, divorced, or separated. The main criteria for choosing its workers is to create jobs for the poorest women in the locality so that they can improve their own social conditions and become financially independent.
The project was operated by the Swedish volunteers until 1982 when they realised they have nothing to do with the project anymore as the women were then independent, working on handlooms and embroidery. So they left Thanapara having ensured that operations of the project were under a management team of local employees.
In July 1999, the organisation was named TSDS and it started a new journey as a local NGO. As it now offers creative and attractive garments to both local and international buyers, TSDS is engaged in other development programmes.
Under the handicraft programme, TSDS provides jobs of sewing, tailoring, embroidery, dying, blocks or boutique printing and coconut-shell button making. Simultaneously, its primary education programme targets children from poor and marginalised families, while the village development programme involves community members through micro finance and savings.
It also has a role in sustainable organic agriculture, climate change issues, water and sanitation, forestry, women rights, legal education, computer training and day-care for the children of the handicraft producers. It also developed a website (http://thanaparaswallows.org) detailing its sources of income and expenditures for transparency, and a catalogue to attract buyers.
TSDS Assistant Director Mahmuda Begum Guinea says their goal is to utilise education, training and jobs as a resource in bridging the gap between the rich and the poor.
The producers here earn between Tk 3000 and Tk 6000 a month. Even though people say that the women do not earn too much, Ali says the amount is sufficient, considering their life styles and needs.
The producers get bonuses more than twice a year and a share of the annual profit, he added. These producers were also given training to produce quality products meant for export.
Wazan Bewa, 65, is one of the TSDS producers. Her husband Nurul Haq was killed in his 20s in the April 13 massacre. She was lost as to what she would do for a living with three sons, while the youngest was only two-months old then.
She still works as a weaver now. Even though her sons are all established now, she says, “I can't leave the workplace as I can feel my husband here and also because my children were brought up here.”
Rezia Bewa, 62, was among the five widows who were socially secluded for their involvement with the NGO. She too still works with it.
“Everybody criticised us and no one came to our aid. If we didn't work hard to save ourselves, our families would have been destroyed.”
There are similar stories of success from Nekjan Bewa, 65, and Mariam Bewa, 62, and many more women in the area.