Fund crisis keeps handlooms silent ahead of Eid
25,611 looms out of 30,979 affected by floods in Pabna
Most handlooms in Pabna, affected by consecutive floods, are silent though water has receded.
Eid-ul-Fitr and Durga Puja bring good business for handlooms every year but it is a different scene this year. Handloom are idle ahead of the festivals, mainly due to lack of fund.
At least 25,611 looms out of 30,979 were affected by flood that hit the district twice in last two months.
The Basic Centre of Bangladesh Tant Board (handloom board) estimated the loss at around Tk 10 crore. But loom owners associations said the loss would be at least Tk 50 crore.
Affected weavers are yet to get any assistance either from the government or from any non-government organization, sources in the associations said. The local office of Tant Board has sought Tk 13 to assist and rehabilitate the affected weavers but the money is yet to be sanctioned, its officials said.
Pabna is famous for handlooms. This correspondent during a survey found that handlooms were worst affected in Bera, Santhia, Sujanagar, Pabna Sadar, Chatmohar and Ishwardi upazilas.
According to sources at the Tant Board Liaison Office here, 6,613 looms out of 7,348 were damaged in Bera upazila this year. This caused a loss of Tk 2.31 core affected about 2,000 handloom families.
The handlooms damaged were 7,254 in Santhia, 4,336 in Sujanagar 5,261 in Pabna Sadar, 1,213 In Faridpur, 654 in Chatmohar and 280 looms in Ishwardi upazila, the sources said.
Md. Habibur Rahman, a leader of Nagdemra Tanti Shamittee, said the handloom sector in the district suffered a production loss of at least Tk 50 crore in last two months. A loom can produce sarees and lunghis worth Tk 1200-15,00a day, he said.
“The Eid and Puja are knocking at the door but we have no work”, said weaver Azizul Islam in Faridpur upazila.
“The festivals are the two largest selling periods for handloom products. Thee two festivals are in the next month. But our looms are silent”, he said. Azizul said flood took every thing away and he has no money to buy yarn and dye.
Md. Abdul Ghani in Sujanagar upazila said, “Sales from my 12 looms was over Tk 2 lakh during Ramadan last year. All my looms went under water this year and I am yet to make them operational”.
Ghani said he can resume production with a small amount of money.
There are about 200 marginal weavers in Nasrapara village in Faridpur upazila and most of tem are affected. The marginal weavers are dependent on periodical sales like in Eid and Puja. They said they face hard time this year all their looms were damaged by flood. Weaver Rezia Begum in the village said they will have to leave the profession if they do not get any assistance this time for survival.
Weaver Bital, 30, of Sujanagar upazila is pulling a rickshaw van for last two weeks leaving his family profession. He said he has no money to repair and operate his lone loom.
This correspondent talked to many weavers in the six upazilas, They said they did not get any help either from the government or from any NGO.
Radha Shame Roy, acting liaison officer of Basic Centre of Bangladesh Tant Board said we requested for Tk 13 crore assistance to affected weavers. The money is yet to be sanctioned by the government.
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