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Grameen handloom industries in dire-straight |
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July 25, 2000
Narsingdi (UNB) - At least 2 lakh traditional handloom industries in nine upazilas of Brahmanbaria, Narayanganj and Narsingdi districts had been closed in last 15 years forcing about 5 lakh weavers to leave their occupation. About 80 percent handloom factories were closed due to unabated smuggling of Indian yarn in the country, shortage of fund, natural calamities and high prices of yarn and colour, said an officer of Bangladesh Handloom Board requesting anonymity. Lack of proper assistance from local administration and concerned authorities, and frequent toll collection by local miscreants, are also responsible for the shut down of the handlooms. In recent years, sources informed, over 1.5 lakh factories had been lying totally inoperative. Apart from these three districts, sources at Bangladesh Handloom Board (BHB) said, once there were over 1.5 lakh handloom factories in the country's northern region and now the number reduced to 50,000, throwing some 2.50 lakh weavers out of job. At present there are over 1.5 lakh handlooms in Pabna, Sirajganj, Natore, Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat and Nilphamari districts, official sources said. However, devastating floods also forced to close some factories in these three districts. The affected families in Budarchar village in Sadar upazila in Narsingdi district told UNB that floodwater damaged their factories and six months ago they applied to concern officials seeking fund for rehabilitation of the factories. "But no initiative has yet been taken by the authority," they alleged. While visiting some villages including Hazipur in Sadar, Adiabad, Hairmarra, Char Subuddi and Hasnabad of Raipura upazila, locals said due to lack of proper assistance from local administration and concerned higher authorities, the production of sarees, lungis and gamchas decreased abnormally and fame of their traditional production was destroying gradually. Besides, due to shortage of working capital and proper orientation, the products of the local industry are not in a position to compete with the high quality ones in the market. Due to lack of proper government policy in distributing yarn, they are compelled to purchase yarn and other raw materials at exorbitant prices, they pointed out. On the other hand, a huge quantity of Indian yarn enters into the local markets everyday through different bordering areas. "The smuggled yarns are being sold openly in different areas in connivance with the law enforcing agencies," local handloom owners alleged adding, "the vested quarters also control market of smuggled Indian yarn". High prices of raw materials were also responsible for the shut down of these industries, they said. At present a bundle of 32-count yarn is being sold at Tk 650 in local market as against the earlier price of Tk 400. Present rate of 60-count yarn is at Tk 1000 while it was sold at Tk 600 earlier. Also the price of Sulfur rose very high. Per pound sulfur is sold at Tk 60 instead of earlier price Tk 10. But the prices of dye like green and violet reduced appreciably as per tola like green is sold at Tk 22 in lieu of Tk 71 and violet at Tk 18 in place of Tk 200. It has become difficult for the local weavers to compete with the Indian smuggled products as prices of dyes, yarns and chemicals have doubled over the last few years. Some weavers alleged that a section of dishonest businessmen are now selling adulterated dyes, adversely affecting the quality of their products. They further complained that the same coterie of businessmen in collaboration with some corrupt officials buy their yarn quotas from spinning mills directly and sell the same in the open market at high prices. There is a training centre in Narsingdi to make the handloom weavers and workers efficient. Principal of Handlooms Training Centre in Narsingdi told UNB that the training centre was set up on three acres of land in 1984 and opened the Centre of Handlooms Products and Equipment Development Programme (CHPED) aiming to develop skill of weavers. A total of 3,000 men and women weavers and workers took part in the training course up to June 1999. The centre imparts training on weaving, dyeing, tie and dye block and battick painting, screen painting, jacquard designing and on market control program. According to the sources, the government in an attempt to revamp the sector had distributed loan totaling Tk 101.74 crore to weavers over the last 16 years. Four national banks distributed the loans among 3,500 weaver associations under the programme. But in most cases the loans had gone to wrong persons due to corruption. The genuine weavers who received the loan now are unable to repay it as their business went down the slope due to price hike of necessary inputs and unbridled smuggling of Indian goods. |