Artisans busy with ornamental stitching ahead Eid-ul-Fitr

Publish: 5:34 PM, May 19, 2019 | Update: 5:34 PM, May 19, 2019

RANGPUR,   – Female artisans are busy with ornamental stitching to female clothes to add extra values, fashion and decency before the holy Eid-ul-Fitr festivity following huge demand of their handwork at sophisticated markets.

Officials at different government departments and NGOs said some 35,000 craftswomen are now extremely busy with ornamental needlework at homes or local enterprises in Rangpur division to earn more at this particular period of the year.

“They are now recognised as craftswomen for engagements with embroidering, spangling and ornamental stitching on saree, three pieces and other female clothes,” said Deputy General Manager of Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) for Rangpur AFM Jalal Uddin.

Ornamental stitching on female clothes has become a very profitable venture to cut poverty bringing self-reliance to hundreds of unemployed women putting huge positive impacts on rural economy, Jalal said.

The BSCIC, Department of Youth Development (DYD), Bangladesh Rural Development Board, Department of Women Affairs, Department of Social Services, other departments and NGOs are assisting to expand the sector jointly with local traders and entrepreneurs.

Talking to BSS, Deputy Director of the DYD here Dilgir Alam said around 2,500 rural women have changed fortune through the venture with DYD assistance to lead better life with their family members contributing to build a middle income nation.

“We provided necessary training to these unemployed female youths, divorcees and distressed women on sewing and embroidery and disbursed easy-term loans and inputs to make them self-reliant,” Dilgir said.

Such types of home-based or enterprise-based embroidery works have got shape of growing cottage industry creating huge jobs for unemployed female youths to cut poverty changing rural economy, he added.

Director (Field Operations) of RDRS Bangladesh Humayun Khaled said some 3,500 unemployed women are engaged with ornamental stitching to become self-reliance after getting training and assistance from the NGO in Rangpur division.

“These craftswomen remain very busy to earn better before the Eid-ul-Fitr festivity as demand of their products increases by many times in aristocrat markets of the capital city and other major markets in the country,” Khaled added.

District Women Affairs Officer for Rangpur Kawser Pervin said over 2,500 unemployed female youths are earning well after getting training on sewing and embroidering and assistance from the Department of Women Affairs in last ten years.

Talking to BSS, female entrepreneur Sanjida Lopa said she has set up ‘Taimur Boutique’ where 10 female youths are working as expert artisans at Dhal Lalkuthi area in Rangpur city and many of them earning up to Taka 12,000 every month per head.

“Currently, we are facing huge pressure to supply previously ordered woks on embroidering, spangling and ornamental stitching on saree, three pieces and other female clothes before the Eid-ul-Fitr festivity as in the previous years,” Lopa added.

Craftswomen Alpona Begum, Homayra Khatun and Pervin Akhter of Badarganj upazila here said they achieved self-reliance through ornamental needle works like many other unemployed women of the village.

Successful craftswomen Shabana Begum and Saleha Khatun of Syedpur upazila in Nilphamari said they generally earn Taka 10,000 monthly and up to Taka 16,000 through embroidery works before the Eid-ul-Fitr festivity.

Private sector entrepreneur of ‘Nari Ponno’ Farida Pervin at Ulipur upazila town in Kurigram said ornamental stitching on female clothes has brought self-reliance to over 450 youth females of her area.

“The craftswomen generally earn Taka 9,000 to 15,000 per month depending on their expertise and quality of decorating saree, three pieces and other female clothes with spangling, ornamental stitching and embroidery works,” Pervin said.

Chairman of Rangpur-based research organisation ‘Northbengal Institute of Development Studies’ Dr Syed Samsuzzaman said many rural craftswomen started initiatives at homes in scattered ways at initial stages some ten years back.

“Many of them have launched small-scale enterprises creating employment opportunities of unemployed female youths after getting assistance from different government departments and NGOs to expand the sector every year,” Zaman added.