Silk, one of the softest fabrics in the world, is a graceful and soft material, shiny, comfortable and luxurious. It remains a highly prized cloth in the modern era even though it first emerged thousands of years ago.

In the Mughal era, Rajshahi’s silk industry was very prominent in the subcontinent. However, with time, it was forgotten. In the past few years, the industry was struggling. But now, fuelled by attractive designs, the silk industry of Rajshahi is seeing good business prospects.

Silk is the most gorgeous of all fibres. It is known worldwide as the queen of fibres. It is a natural protein fibre obtained from cocoons made by the larvae of the mulberry silkworm. Since its production is a complicated process, silk fibre is not produced all over the world, but its aesthetic look and feel mean it enjoys high demand worldwide.

Among silk products, Rajshahi silk sarees boast a place of pride in Bangladesh, just like muslin and jamdani. Bangladeshi silk products have always been very famous all over the world. Now, colourful and gorgeous silk panjabis and salwar kameezes with artistic designs are attracting more and more customers.

Silk manufacturers like Sopura Silk, Usha Silk, Rajshahi Silk Fashion, Amena Silk and Mohananda Silk are now drawing potential buyers with their attractive designs. Since time immemorial, they have been using dresses made from this soft and luxurious fabric on special occasions.

Woven and designed by local artisans with new designs, the fabrics are now gaining high demand from among the customers.

Gorgeous fabrics

Varieties of silk clothing like bolaka karchupi, sui-suta katan, koti silk, joyashri, silk katan, water katan, jamdani katan, borkatan, dupiana and jhorna katan are drawing potential buyers like magnets.

When asked about their business, Ashraf Ali, director of Sopura Silk, said overall business was now good, as sales during Eid-ul-Fitr were better this year compared to last year.

As demand increases during festivals, products made of Rajshahi silk, especially sarees and panjabis, become very much coveted. “Now people in our country purchase sophisticated and luxurious gifts and opt for silk products like sarees or panjabis,” he added.

He also said renowned boutique shops purchase silk fabrics to make products that help their businesses flourish.

Sopura Silk has two showrooms in the capital’s Gulshan and Dhanmondi. Their silk sarees are in high demand, with prices ranging from Tk. 2,000 to Tk. 12,000, while panjabis range from Tk. 3,000 to Tk. 6,000 as their products are made of pure silk, he added.

A salesperson of Kori Silk’s showroom in the capital’s Dhanmondi area said silk saris were in high demand, with prices ranging from Tk. 3,500 to Tk. 15,000. On the other hand, panjabis at Usha Silk were being sold at Tk. 1,900 to Tk. 6,500 per piece.

Aarong, one of the retail chains in Bangladesh operating under BRAC, sources silk from Rajshahi and then weaves beautiful clothing and home decor items with the help of the silk weaving artisans of Bangladesh.

“But silk businessmen are facing an acute shortage of raw materials because exporter countries like India and China want to sell us their finished products instead of raw materials. Besides, they have increased the supply rate of the products,” Ashraf Ali added.

Bangladesh will not get raw materials from China and India after five years because of the growing demand in these countries, he added. He requested the government to take steps to sustain the silk industry.

Alhaj Sadar Ali, owner of Sopura Silk Mills Limited, said they were not getting loans from public banks on easy terms and rates of interest. Rather, they were being forced to borrow from private banks at high interest rates. As a result, the silk industry of the country is being devastated.

To adjust to the changing climate, it was necessary to invent new varieties of mulberry plants, Ali added.

Cry for succour

Bangladesh Reshom Shilpa Owners’ Association president Liakat Ali said the government should come forward to save the silk industry of the country as it has huge prospects.

He said, “The marginal silk farmers at the grassroots levels are not getting sufficient assistance and cooperation from the government.” He further said that the government should come forward to assist silk farmers of the country in the same way it assisted potato farmers and pisciculturists.

He added, “It is only possible to save the silk industry of the country by spreading silk farming among marginal farmers at the grassroots level.”

He said, “Normally, silk worth Tk. 1 to Tk. 1.5 crore is sold a month but goods more than Tk. 7 crore have been sold this month, thanks to the growing demand for the product in the country. It is possible to do well in this industry and earn more currency through planned cultivation by the government.”

Through the government has recognised this industry as agriculture-based, the local office of the silk has failed to supply sufficient products to the farmers of the country, he alleged.

Silk is cultivated in the 11 districts of the country but at least 10 initiators are required in every district, he further said.

“If a country fails to supply silk products, this industry will vanish from the country,” he warned.

Huge prospects

The potential of silk production in Bangladesh remained unrealised till the end of the last century. Production declined dramatically over 1995 as a result of further decrease in tariffs on imported silk, followed by devastating floods in 1998, while the sericulture industry in Bangladesh largely became stagnant. Private organisations continued producing silk merchandise, but largely depended on more reliable imported silk. In 1998, the government established the Silk Development Project (SDP), within which the Bangladesh Silk Foundation (BSF) was created, to revive the silk sub-sector once again into a forward-looking industry.

Traditionally, the first three stages of production viz. mulberry cultivation, silkworm rearing, and reeling of the raw silk yarn were carried out by specialised rural households of Bengal, as part of what was essentially a cottage industry.

The Bholahat and Charghat regions of Rajshahi were known for the rearing of the silkworm, and the farmers were often known as 'boshnis.'

This yarn was then sold to specialised weavers in nearby villages or towns to make the textile. Bengal produced much more silk than was used locally, especially since it was a premium product and quite expensive.

In fact, the supply of such a luxurious item far outstripped local demand then, and led to vigorous exports of both cloth material as well as raw silk—a trade which brought the Europeans traders to medieval Bengal.

Local production of silk has to be boosted to elevate the sector, emphasised Liakat Ali, president of Bangladesh Silk Industry Owners' Association.

Proper use of plant varieties and modern technologies at the growers' level is essential, he said. Also, increased domestic production of yarn can help revitalise the sector.

“The sector is now going through hard times due to the excessive price of foreign silk yarn and the decline in local production,” he added.

This sector is a very promising one. If it gets proper support from the government and keeps abreast with the fast-changing trends, the industry will grow rapidly, industry experts added.