The New Nation - Internet Edition

The poor, particularly women and young girls, are changing their lifestyle through working in the handloom factories in Pabna and Sirajganj districts.

They are gradually becoming self-reliant with their own initiatives with assistance from different government and non- governmental organizations, who provide necessary credits, training and inputs side by side with creating marketing facilities for their products.

Over 15,000 distressed women, divorcees and young girls of rural and urban areas in the two districts are making financial contributions to their families by sewing handloom garments and marketing those. The Women Affairs Department, Social Service Department, Youth Development Department, other government organizations, well-known NGOs like ASA and dozens of local NGOs are playing a vital role in encouraging the women by providing training, sewing machines, credits and inputs.

Production of readymade garments made of handloom fabrics has been growing fast as more and more women, widows, divorcees and teenaged girls are becoming interested in adopting sewing as a profession.

Government and NGO officials said the distressed women and unemployed young girls are showing more interest in sewing profession and added they are hopeful that this profession will help empowerment of women in the region.

The women are producing mainly garments like blouse, petticoat, semiz, kamiz, salwar, scurf, maxi, baby wears, shirts, pants, fotua, caps and other readymade wears for people of all ages.

Housewife Anjumanara, 35, of Bera in Pabna district told BSS, "I sew baby clothes and my husband sells them in the bazaars and hats of the area. We earn about Taka 10,000 a month as net profit. Our sons Helal, 12, and Belal, 7, are now going to schools."

Taking assistance from an NGO, Bithika, Poppy, Shahnaj, Ferdousi Begum, Naima and Rikta of village Kashinathpur under Shahjadpur upazila in the same district have achieved self- reliance by sewing clothes.

Local business community leaders and wholesalers advocated setting up of composite textile and spinning mills in the region for industrialization and creating job opportunities to eradicate poverty and achieve economic uplift.