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Nonstop Blockade

Handloom silk business incurs huge losses

RABIUL HASAN, Chapainawabganj
Owners of silk cloth making handlooms at different villages in Sadar and Shibganj upazilas under the district are incurring huge losses due to non-stop countrywide blockade enforced by BNP-led 20-party alliance since January 6.
Hundreds of handloom workers have also become temporarily jobless, as many owners stopped production due to problem in sending the cloths to Dhaka, Chittagong, Sylhet, Rajshahi and other places.
During a visit to Laharpur and Ramchandrapur of Sadar upazila and Horinagar of Shibganj upazila on Friday, this correspondent found the silk handloom owners and workers passing idle time.
"I usually get silk cloths, saris and curtains woven at my handlooms and supply the items to Rajshahi, Dhaka and other districts. But the business virtually stopped due to countrywide blockade and lately I suspended production," said Sarol Chandra Singh of Laharpur village under Baroghoria union of Sadar upazila.
Nitai Chandra Singh of the same village said all the 20 labourers of the handlooms at his house are passing idle time as he has stopped weaving.
Over 250 other
handlooms at the village also stopped weaving, he said.
Montu Das, a handloom worker of Laharpur, said he is struggling to maintain his family as he is out of job now.
Many others like Laxmi Rani Das and Togori Singh of Laharapur and Mohammad Selim and Yousuf of Horinagar are also in the same boat.
Workers usually earn Tk 250 to 300 a day for weaving silk cloths, they said.
Chapainawabganj is famous for traditional silk cloths, popularly known as Rajshahi silk, but the industry faces serious crisis due to the ongoing political unrest, said Bibhutibhusan Das and Hem Kumar Das, handloom owners of Horinagar village.
Many owners, who took loans from different banks and NGOs to manage the capital, are now worried about its timely payment, they said.
Around 2,500 weavers
work at as many handlooms in the district, said Achinto Kumar Das, president of Baroghoria union weavers association.
"Due to the blockade, wholesalers from different areas cannot come to the district for buying cloths including saris, scarves, shirt and punjabi pieces, and curtains. We cannot send the items either. We are counting heavy losses as cloths worth crores of taka remained unsold for around a month," he said.