Nation builders ignored

Workers at Milon Hosiery at Nayarhat. PHOTO: STAR

The factory owners need financial assistance on easy terms terms and uninterrupted power supply.

They moved different quarters for soft loan and to the Rural Electrification Board (REB) to ensure smooth power supply, but in vain.

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Over the years, about 8000 small, 2000 medium and 2000 are large garments factories have grown at Kochashahar and Nayarhat in Gobindaganj upzila in Gibandha district. These employ about 75,000 people. About 90 percent people of the union are directly or indirectly involved with the factories in addition to their farming occupation for the last ten years.

Kochashar is about 10 km east of Gobindaganj and 20 km southwest of Gibandha Sader upzila.

There were some cottage sweater industries at Kochashahar during the seventies and eighties. Workers

then used to weave woolen cloths in handlooms.

After nineties, the situation changed with supply of electricity by Gibandha Polli Biddut Samity. Powerlooms replaced handlooms.

In addition to agriculture, the people started knitting woolen clothes in power looms and marketing those.

The number of units is now about 12000, according to the Nayarhat and Kochashahar Shilpo Malik Samiti.

"Two thirds of the woolen clothes are supplied to different parts in the country from Kocharshahor and Nayarhat every winter", said Shafiqul Islam, owner of TS Garments.

Talking to the Daily Star correspondents during a visit on Tuesday, President of Nayarhat Shilpo Malik Samiti Mizanur Rahman said, "Our workers are efficient enough to produce export quality woolen clothes. But we can not do that due to lack of funds and government patronisation."

Saiful Islam, proprietor of Sunny Hosiery at Kochashahar said BNP legislator elected from the constituency had tried for government steps for export of woolen clothes from there, but no step has yet been taken yet.

Shahadur Islam, president of Kochashahar Shilpo Malik Somiti said, "Load shedding and fund crisis are our main problems".

Most of the factory owners can not continue production round the year for lack of capital, they said. The factories run only for three months because of fund crisis, they added.

"If we have sufficient capital, we can produce clothes and employ workers round the year," said Mofazzal Hossen Kopalya, owner of Milon Hosiery at Nayarhat.

There is a branch of Rajshahi Krishi Unnyan Bank in Kochashahar Bazar. This is the only bank that is giving financial support to the factories.

"Only 10 percent factory owners are getting bank loan facilities," said Shaiful Islam. Most of the factory owners run business by borrowing money from moneylenders at high rates.

An official of RAKUB at its Gibandha Regional Office said the bank can not sanction loan without collateral. The collateral they wan to mortgage with the bank is of lesser value than the loans they want, the official said.

Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) finances some of the factories. But the amount is too little to serve the purpose. The cost for loan is very high. Loans can be obtained after so much of lobbying and bribe, they alleged.

Grameen Bank is financing some of the small factories. "The payment schedule of Grameen Bank is difficult for us to follow," said Abdus Sattar, Organizing Secretary of Kochashahar Shilpo Malik Somiti.

He said Grammen Bank wants payment in weekly installment but factory owners want monthly installment because sales proceeds can not be collected weekly.

Earlier the leaders of Kochashahar Shilpo Malik Somiti and Nayarhat Shilpo Malik Somiti met authorities of Gibandha Rural Electrification Board (REB) and requested them to ensure power supply for at least 16 hour a day from July to September as this is the peak production season.

But REB could not ensure this.

"We are facing at least 12 hours' load shedding a day now. It hampers our production", said Abdus Sattar.