Ishwardi's historic Banarasi handicraft industry is struggling for survival due to a shortage of skilled artisans, infrastructure limitations, rising production costs, and market crises, threatening thousands of livelihoods. Established in 2004 by the Bangladesh Handloom Board on 5.5 acres of land at a cost of approximately Tk 2.15 crore in the Fate Mohammadpur area, the project aimed to centralize and modernize the century-old tradition introduced by artisans from Uttar Pradesh. However, two decades later, the initiative remains largely unfulfilled; out of 90 allotted plots, factories have been established on only seven, with just three currently operational, while the rest lie abandoned and overgrown with bushes.
Local weavers and traders report that soaring prices of raw materials like yarn and sequins, combined with heavy competition from cheaper Indian saris, have severely squeezed profit margins. Additionally, the lack of an on-site yarn processing facility adds extra time and expense. While operational factories sell handwoven saris between Tk 4,000 and Tk 10,000, high labor costs make competition difficult. Ishwardi Banarasi Palli Acting Officer Obaidur Rahman Zilani noted that government support, easy-term loans, modern technology, and market expansion are urgently needed to revive the industry, adding that his administrative duties are currently hampered by a severe workforce shortage.
— Daily Best News Desk • Fearless in the search for truth
Reported by SM Raja, Ishwardi (Pabna) Correspondent • Edited by the Daily Best News desk. Send corrections to [email protected].
