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Handloom fabrics of Rangamati: Prospects and shortfalls

SlIANTIMOY CHAKMA, Rangamati
The handloom industry in the Rangamati Hill District is a welcome employment opportunity for unemployed young females and underprivileged women, particularly the indigenous womenfolk.
While, handloom products are gradually gaining popularity both at home and overseas, the owners of the traditional handloom factories are discontented as their sales have declined unexpectedly due to a wane in the number of tourists. Adding to their woes are the skyrocketing prices of yarn, dying and other wearing materials. Prices have unexpectedly gone up by 50 percent, owners said.
Around 2,000 underprivileged female workers are engaged in wearing at different handloom factories in the district. Their work in the factories includes wearing, dyeing of cloth and processing yarn.
"I have been working here for the last three years. When 1 was an apprentice I was making only Tk 1200. After a raise, now I get Tk 2000/ said Lalita Chakma, airexperienceu young worker at Bain Textile. However, weavers with experience usually earn Tk 2500 to 3000 per month.
"I've been working for the last 12 years at Bain Textile. When I started, I used to get only Tk 700. Now I earn Tk 2500 and can support my two school-going children/ said Mariam Begum, a single mother.
There are nine handloom
textile factories in the district;-These-are; Bain Textile, Nakshn. Textile, Banalata Textile, Banani Textile, Tantuj Textile, Craft & Fashion Textile, Bayan Textile, Majumder Textile and Rakhain Textile.
Handloom items that enjoy good sales include pinon-khadi (an indigenous material), shalwar-kameez, panjabi, frocks, shawls, fatua, shirts, bedcovers, floor mats, dining table mats and
cushion t, overs
- Bain Textile was established in 1965 at the Tribal Officer Colony in Tabalchhari area of the town. Manjulika Chakma is the owner of the establishment. Following her footsteps, the owners of other textile factories embarked on the handloom business about 20 years ago in the district, sources said.
Tourists and visitors seem to like the handloom products.
While IbcaJ demarid was minuscule in the past, currently a good number of locals are also buying the handloom items. Simultaneously, good quality handloom items are going to cloth traders in Dhaka, said Manjulika Chakma.
However, insiders say that the business is not that profitable currently due to skyrocketing prices of weaving materials. They point out that to give a boost to
the handloom industry, the government could give subsidies and interest-free short and long-term loans.
Motaleb Hossain, owner of Banani Textile, asserts that weaving materials have to be purchased in Dhaka, which adds to the cost. A shop of BTMC (Bangladesh Textile Mills Corporation) was at Reserve Bazar in the town about 10 years ago from where the company used to buy its weaving materials.
Currently, many handloom factories have sprung up in Rangamati town, where as there was only a handful about two decades ago.
Manjulika Chakma started her business with a capital ofTk 500. At present, Manjulika is considered a pioneer in the handloom fabrics trade in CHT. She won a Bangladesh Business Awards 2003 for her outstanding performance in popularising indigenous fabrics.
"I use more dying materials and colours in my handloom items. So, demand for my items is always higher than others," she said, adding, "many who are not originally from the CHT have begun working with indigenous handloom products following my style."
"My products are available at Dhaka-based outlets such as Aarong, Prabartana, Aranya and Kumudini. Last year, 1 earned about Tk 35 lakh of which 65 percent is the production cost of the total sale. Our overall sales are now down as this is off-season for tourists," she added.