The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Narsingdi

Hundreds of handloom factories including Jamdani, Katan and Benarashi in the district are facing setback due to high price of yarn and dye and unhindered smuggling of Indian fabrics in the local markets.

Local entrepreneurs said, a group of dishonest yarn and dye traders are making the yarn and dye market unstable with an ulterior motive for earning more money by creating crisis of yarn and dye. In this adverse situation, a large number of handloom factory owners have compelled to close down their factories rendering about one lakh weavers and workers jobless.

According to District Handloom Training Center, there were over 25,000 handlooms factories in the district and have been producing saris, lunges, napkins, bed-sheet, scarfs etc. But high price of yarn and dye and flourishing of smuggling Indian fabric compelled about fifty percent weavers to leave their traditional job. Abdur Rahim, a katan and benarashi factory owner of Karimpur village, told BSS that he started the factory with 10 looms in 1982. But price hike of yarn and dye and an uneven competition with smuggled Indian saris shrunk his business into two looms at present.

Lunge producer Lal Miah of Raipura, bed-sheet producer Alamgir at Patchdona had also face same problem and closed-down their factories.