Bangladesh Tanti League urged the government to meet its four-point demand including setting up of a “ Tant Bank’ for the development of weaving industry' in the country.

Speaking at a press conference at the National Press Club, the leaders of the organisation also demand inclusion of the ‘Tant Board" as the patronising authority in the 1997-2002 Import Policy.

The leaders alleged that the previous governments did not take .my effective measures for the welfare of nearly 18 lakh weavers.

1 hey said that the weavers are facing acute problems in marketing their products.

“The weaver community could not import raw materials for their industry' due to red tape involved in getting permission", they al-leged.

They said the present government has distributed loan among the weavers in view of flourishing the industry'. “But the amount is only one per cent of their total demand." they said.

They urged the government to provide financial" and technical support to the weavers. The government should patronise the

local weavers to uphold the Bengali culture and heritage, they said.

They also called for waiving the loans given to the weavers under the Weavers Credit Scheme’ in 1983-84.

President of the organisation Sohrab Uddin Ahmed read out the written speech in the press conference.