Benarasi saree weavers in Mirpur area in the capital have long been struggling for their survival as the proposed Benarasi Palli (village) is yet to be set up, although government lands were allocated for the project in 1984.

The government allocated a total of 40 acres of land comprising 906 plots at Bhansentak in Mirpur area to set up this special enclave.

When smuggling of a huge

quantity of Indian benarasi saree into the country has thrown the weavers into trouble, lack of government support for the sector has added to their miseries, according to industry insiders.

The number of weavers has reduced to around 3,000 from over 8,000 even five years back as there is no permanent place for the weavers to operate their business.

Although the allocation of lands among 1,668 weavers, who submitted a Tk 10,000 bank draft for each of

the 906 plots, remains incomplete, the weavers are being evicted by the government from the present location of the proposed project faced with uncertainty, said the industry people.

President of Bangladesh National Weavers Cooperative Society Mohammed Hanif alleged, "In the last two months the authorities have evicted around 100 benarasi saree manufacturing units and the process is going on."

According to Abdul Zabbar,

secretary of Mirpur Ward No-2 Weavers Association, more than 70 percent of such units established on the government land are now facing eviction.

"Most of the handlooms are established on government and privately owned properties in Mirpur. The weavers' survival is now at stake, as they have no alternative place to shift their businesses," said Safiullah Swapan, a leader of the weaver community.

The proposed project area was a marshland at the time of allocation, which the authorities developed as per the plan and subsequently the place was turned into a slum as many homeless people began to live there.

" Later the authorities could not hand over tire area among weavers as per the plan due to a court order that said not to evict the slum dwellers to materialise the project," the National Weavers Cooperative Society chief said.

The sector leaders demanded immediate handover of the allocated lands to the weavers.

In case of the government's failure to do so, another village for the weaver community should be established, they said.

They sought government patronisation to help flourish the sector which has a huge potential as traditional benarasi saree is in demand at home and abroad.

"Besides benarasi saree, there is export potential for bed cover, pillow cover, curtain and other furniture covers made by benarasi cloth, "said Swapan.