A Correspondent Netrokona:

The traditional weaving industry in Durgapur upazila of Netrokona is grappling with numerous issues, including rising yarn prices, lack of new machines and low-interest loans.

Industry insiders have said that without government incentives and technical assistance, the industry will soon go extinct.

Tribal women of the Birishiri area of Durgapur upazila have been weaving cloth with eye-catching designs and mind-blowing colours for years. After meeting the local needs, tourists from many parts of the country are also buying handmade tribal clothes.

Weaving clothes is a daily norm for the tribal women of the upazila along with other activities, including farming, which is disappearing slowly with the evolution of time due to financial problems and various challenges, a number of weavers said.

Women members of almost every family in Birishiri area work tirelessly to make their traditional dresses like ‘Dakmanda’, ‘Orna’ and ‘Gamcha’. Amid the absence of modern looms, the delayed supply of cloth is one of the major obstacles due to the fact that cloth is still being woven on old foot-cart machines, they said.

Weaver Anthi Rangdi said, “With the efforts of the Upazila Nirbahi Officer, we have revived our lost industry with financial support from the Prime Minister’s funds in 2018. Now the industry requires further support to sustain. Due to the lack of new machines, the cost of making clothes has become high, so it is difficult to sell outside.”

“If the government provides interest-free loans to protect our industry, we can supply our clothes outside the country to meet the needs of the country.”

Regarding this, Amita Sangma, general manager of Birishiri Multipurpose Women’s Cooperative Society, said, “Once, tribal women were greatly benefited financially from this weaving industry. Slowly this industry is disappearing due to lack of money and modernity. This industry can still be transformed into a large-scale industry if it gets government support.”

“The women of tribal communities still dream about this industry. With the necessary support, these unique design cloths can meet the local demand and also be exported abroad.”

In this regard, Upazila Nirbahi Officer M Rokibul Hasan said “Our support will continue to protect this industry. Local tribal women do this work at their homes and make cloth by weaving. If interest-free government loans are given to them along with improved training to make handloom cloth more attractive, the industry will flourish.”

“I would seek assistance from the authorities for the advancement of the weaving industry along with the development of the indigenous people of the region”, he said.