Pabna, Sirajganj weavers have no time to waste

With Eid approaching, a weaver busy producing handloom cloths at a weaving factory at Shahjadpur in Pabna district. Photo: Star

Weavers of Pabna and Sirajganj districts, the biggest handloom cloth producing zone in the country, are passing busy time ahead of the Eid-ul-Fitr.
Sellers of over 200 large wholesale shops at Shahjadpur Tant Kaporer Hat, the biggest wholesale market of handloom products in the country, are also busy as the traders from different parts of the country are thronging there to buy cloths.
The areas noted for weaving industry are in Shahjadpur, Ullapara, Chowhali (Enayetpur), Kazipur, Belkuchi and Sadar upazilas of Sirajganj district and Bera, Santhia, Sujanagar and Sadar upazilas of Pabna.
“Now 3.5 lakh looms are operating in 10 upazilas of the two districts with target to produce two crore pieces of handloom cloths. At least 70 percent of the country's demand for handloom cloths is met from the zone,” said Md Haidar Ali, vice president of Bangladesh Handloom and Power Loom Owners Association, also president of Sirajganj district unit of the association.
Around 50 percent of the total production of the two districts is exported to India and the demand soars up ahead of the Eid, Haider added.
But marginal weavers of the two districts are suffering due to the fund crisis in the peak production season.
“I have three looms. I and my son are working in two looms while the other has remained abandoned. I do not engage worker due to fund crises,” said Md Raihan Ali, a marginal weaver of Dorgarchar in Shahjadpur upazila.
"I have targeted to produce 100 pieces of sarees in my two looms. But to start the work, I had to borrow money from a mohazan (money lender) on condition of giving him 60 pieces of sarees without making any profit,” Raihan said.
Around 15 thousand marginal weavers of the two districts are facing similar problems.