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Fate of Benarasi Estate still hangs in balance

Land allocated 25 years ago

Shahnaz Parveen
Benarasi saree weavers at Mirpur in the capital are passing a miserable life as the future of proposed Benarasi Estate at Bhashantek is hanging in balance even 25 years after the land allocation by the government.
Having no land of their own, the weavers are passing their days in fear of fresh eviction as the entire business grew up on publicland.
The business of traditional Benarasi sarees is also witness-inga rapid slump with imported and smuggled Indian sarees taking over the local market making hundreds of weavers jobless.
Industry insiders said the government in 1984 allocated around 40 acres of land at Bhashantek to set up an estate for Benarasi weavers entrusting (he Bangladesh Handloom Board with the project
1 heTk 294.66 million project has plans to establish handloom factories, washing and dyeing units, housing and other basic amenities for weav-
^ers.j.uo ml
। Under the project which went on at a sloth's pace from the beginning, there is a plan for setting up 906 plots.
Applications were invited from weavers in 2003. Around 1865 weavers submitted applications along with Tk 10,000 in the form of bank draft for each plot.
Since then there have been no progress while the land remains occupied by slum dwellers.
Meanwhile, some of the weavers who submitted the bank draft have passed away and many withdrew their money.
"Weavers are facing enormous hardships as there is no permanent place for them to operate their business. They were evicted many times from their present place. So they are very much discouraged for fresh investment," said Md Rafique, former president of Benarasi Prathomik Taanti Samity.
He said the number of handlooms has shrunk to 1400 employing around 5500 weavers only.
About 15 years ago when the business was at its peak around 10,000 handlooms spread all the way from Mirpur section 10 to 12 catering to a vast segment of customers, he added.
“Today the rhythms of weaving handlooms are slowly fading away as the profession does not pay as it used to pay. Many
weavers are now working as vendors, rickshaw pullers and day labourers forgetting the trade passed on them by their forefathers," he said.
"Benarasi Palli at Mirpur now exists only in name. Most of the sarees showcased in stores are Indian products. In many cases Indian designs are being reproduced here with raw materials coming from India,” said lainal Abedin Babu, another veteran in the industry.
"Local craftsmen fail to compete as they are discouraged to continue the profession for lack of social and financial securi ty,"headded.
Mohammad Babu, a weaver from Mirpur 10, said prices of raw silk and golden thread (jari) are increasing continuously.
"The profit is so meagre compared to excruciating
labour, lengthy production time and enormous investment that it is no longer cost-effective," added Babu who does not want his son to learn the trade.
MdTaherul Islam, director of Benarasi Palli Project, said about 85 percent of land devel -opment work and 20 percent of boundary wall of the proposed estate have so far been completed.
“ We could not continue our work due to a stay order issued by the High Court (HC), ” he added.
In 2003 Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services TYust (BLAST) filed a writ petition with the HC against the eviction of slum dwellers.
The HC in March 2004 issued a stay order saying that the slum dwellers cannot be evicted unless the petition reaches a verdict