BSCIC Design Centre
By Bipul K Debnath
Ten trainees, including students, entrepreneurs and business owners of different ages, were busy learning about batik printing recently at the Design Centre of Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC), located on the ground floor of BSCIC Bhaban in the capitals Motijheel area.
Taking a break from their class on January 14, some of the trainees and their trainers, as well as some BSCIC officials, talked to The Weekend Independent about the training courses and facilities available at the Design Centre, which innovates and supplies samples of different product designs.
I have completed my graduation in psychology from Dhaka University, said one of the trainees, Meftahul Zannat, 26. I always prefer teaching as a career, but I dont see any future in it. After knowing about the training programme of this government institute from my friend, I have come to the centre. Mainly, I have a plan to start a business soon. I am learning about different types of batik prints. I am getting new ideas about it from this course.
Rubaiya Khanom, 20, a first-year student of Home Economics College in Dhaka, said, Though batik printing is included in my academic syllabus, I have come here to learn it in more details. I hope to get extra information, besides my academic classes. It is really interesting to work together in a group. Everybody is helpful and cooperative here. Our instructor is very experienced as he has been teaching batik for 26 years. Actually, we are learning amid much enthusiasm and fun.
Fatematus Sima, who has a masters degree in economics from Victoria College, Comilla, came to Dhaka for training at the centre. I want to start a new business because I want be a solvent person. I was looking for jobs, and thus, I wasted my valuable time. So, I dont want to do that anymore, she said.
About her experience at the centre, the 27-year-old added, This is my second class. I want to be regular as every class is important to me. Before coming here, I had some idea about batik as my elder brother has a tailoring business in Comilla city. We have both theory and practical classes. In theory class, our trainer gives us information on batik printing which will help us to become innovative in creating new designs. In practical class, we get the opportunity to do batik printing on our own.
Jasim Uddin, 51, master craftsman and batik instructor at the Design Centre, said: I am teaching how to use vegetable dyes and khair (catechu) on fabrics to make various designs today. I have 15 students. Five of them are absent today. They get primary idea about the batik printing from our course.
Ejaz Ahmed, 31, a businessman, said: We have a clothing business at Gulistan. I came to know about this centre from my wife, who has already taken courses on fashion designing here. I want to expand my business, so I need to learn the basic things about different designs. It is my first class today, and I am learning how to make batik prints on fabrics.
Farjana Ahkter, 26, another graduate of Comilla Victoria College and owner of Good Food and He She shops at Bashundhara City shopping centre in the capital, said, We have our own tailors. For improving the designs of our products, I need practical knowledge. So, I came to the centre and got admitted. I have already learned how to make innovative batik prints. I hope I will learn a lot more from the course.
There are many educated people who are not getting proper jobs these days. BSCIC is offering so many courses and they can enroll in any of those to start new businesses. I know they are facing many problems. I would ask them not to worry about it and come to the Design Centre and get training to become self-reliant. They should not pay heed to others. They have to move forward, and definitely they will succeed, was the entrepreneurs suggestion for young people who want to stand on their own feet.
But the story of Farida Parvin, another entrepreneur, is very different. As a mother and wife, the 40-year-old entrepreneur has to overcome many hurdles to reach her goal. Of course, there are many obstacles in every family. See, my husband does not want me to take any training outside. So, I cannot attend classes with that much freedom. After taking my children to school, I come here. If I get approval from him, I can continue my classes more easily, she said.
I feel inspired when I get good remarks from my customers. I give more emphasis on new designs, which make my customers happy, added Parvin, who makes womens clothes at home and sells them to her neighbours at Gulistan.
Encouraging other women to become self-reliant, Parvin added: Sometimes, family life becomes monotonous for us. So, we women want to get out of the house and earn some extra money to run our homes smoothly. Nowadays, women can get different types of training at so many institutions. There are also loan facilities with low interest rates for them. My suggestion to those women who wish to add some extra income to their household budgets, and enjoy a bit of freedom in their way of life, is to go for it.
Najrul Islam, an instructor of metal craft and wood inlay designing, said, In my department, I teach my trainees how to make boxes, tea tables, wooden doors, different types of frames and other items with brass and wood. I also teach them how to make wooden blocks for printing. At present, I have only two students.
Ramjan Ali, who teaches screen printing, said, My trainees learn how to print on fabrics in many ways. We collect all types of materials from the local market. I have 17 students and they are learning about screen printing enthusiastically.
BSCIC was established in 1957 for the promotion and extension of small, medium and cottage industries of our country, said Monowara Khatun, chief designer at the Design Centre. We offer two types training _ managerial training that includes general, technical, economic and financial training, and skill development training. From 1960, the Design Centre has been providing skill development training in keeping with design innovations, Khatun told this correspondent.
Under the skill development programme, the Design Centre is offering training in 13 areas, such as block printing, batik, leatherwork, packaging, weaving and tapestry, cane, bamboo and wood craft, doll- making, pottery and ceramics, metal and wood inlay craft, jute handicraft, screen printing, fashion designing, and design concept and development. We have six training centres outside Dhaka, including at Rajshahi, Chittagong, Gazipur and Rangpur, the chief designer added.
About admission procedure and course modules, Khatun said: For each course, a trainee has to pay Tk 50 for the form and Tk 500 for admission. Course duration is two months, with 24 classes, which are held three days a week from 10 am to 3 pm. Most of our students are homemakers, students, businesspeople, and new entrepreneurs. We are now providing training to 1,020 people to become entrepreneurs.
After completing a course from us, our trainees produce items like sarees, bed covers and salwar-kameez suits with different designs. They also get the chance to attend our fairs and sell their products for profit. We also help them to get loans so they become entrepreneurs, she said.
We arrange five seasonal fairs on a regular basis around the year. They are rain, autumn, late autumn, spring and Boisakhi fairs. Except Boisakhi, which is held on the Bangla Academy premises, the other fairs take place at BSCIC headquarters (in Motijheel). We hope to arrange some other fairs soon. Our spring fair is going to be held next, on February 11 on our ground floor, Khatun added.
There is no specific entry requirement for trainees, but a class-8 education is preferred, while the trainers mostly have Masters degrees, said Jasim Uddin.
Though the Design Centre has a lot to offer, most of the equipment there appeared to be unworkable or obsolete. For this, the trainers as well as their students face numerous problems while taking courses.
We have double stitch sewing machines, skiving machines, glowing machines, cutting machines, ball press machines and other important machines in our workshop that were given by ILO (International Labour Organisation) in 1985. Most of our machines are not useable now, Jasim Uddin said.
We have only one trainer for each course. So, we cannot instruct our students properly. But we give basic idea about the subject so they can continue with their work. And we always advise them to practise at home, the master craftsman added.
Regarding old equipment and shortage of instructors, chief designer Monowara Khatun said, We have plans to buy new machineries and office equipment, and will get them soon. We have already appointed some new trainers. So, we hope the problems will be resolved soon. n
Photos: Courtesy
