Banarasi WEAVERS face tough times

Business in Mirpur Banarasi Palli, a market place well-known for different kinds of traditional Banarasi Sarees in Bangladesh, is facing tough times. People, who used to go there to purchase the famous Banarasi sarees, are increasingly opting for trendy Indian sarees. The popularity of these custom-made sarees is losing its charm as colourful Indian chic sarees are more in demand among local buyers. “Actresses in Hindi movies and Indian TV serials do not wear Banarasi sarees. Maybe, that is one of the reasons why the demand for the much-desired traditional saree is on the decline,” lamented Shahdat Hossen Mintu, owner of Fahad Banarasi Saree. Banarasi sarees, compared to others, with its elegant needlework, spectacular use of colours and beautiful and diverse designs were much in demand.  Even a few years back, any special occasion like weddings would not be complete without Banarasi sarees.
In the mid-1980s, the hype for the elegant traditional fabric reached its peak. At that time, it was even popular in India, which created a huge employment.
The Benarasi saree, whose history dates back to the Mughal rule in the 16th century, has its origin in Benaras, a northern Indian city. In Bangladesh, Muslims who migrated from Benaras, started making Benarasi sarees in Mohammadpur and Mirpur in Dhaka since 1950.
The tradition of making these sarees passed on from one generation to the other. This art was revived soon after the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947 when about 370 non-Bengali families from Benaras, presently Varanasi, came to Bangladesh. Among them, about 200 families settled in the Mirpur area of Dhaka and started making Benarasi sarees.
Later, more people got involved with this handloom industry. As the tradition spread, the entire area came to be known as Mirpur Benarasi Palli, located on the north-western edge of the capital. The business flourished after liberation in 1971 as demand picked up.
Osman, a weaver, describing the weaving process said, “The yarn is imported and then it is hand dyed. After washing in hot water with soap, it’s sent to a factory for binding. After that yarn is handed over to weavers for weaving according to the design graph master. In the end, a beautiful Banarasi saree is the finished product.”
There are four main varieties of Banarasi saree, which includes pure silk (Katan), Organza (Kora) with zari and silk; Georgette, and Shattir, and according to design process, they are divided into categories such as Jangla, Tanchoi, Vaskat, Cutwork, Tissue and Butidar.
Fulkoali Katan, Dulhan Katan, Mirpuri Reshmi Katan, Mellenium Katan, Benarasi Cosmos, Orgamndi, Katan, Brakett Katan, Reshmi Katan, Prince Katan, Rimjhim Katan, Tussiue Katan, Mirpuri Gini Gold Katan, Georgette Gini Glod Katan and Chunri Katan are some of the different types of sarees that are woven in Mirpur Banarasi Palli. The Palli is located in the 2, 3 and 5 wards of 10, 11, 12 and 13 sections of Mirpur, where more than 300 outlets display the elegant sarees.
Recently, craftsmen of Banarasi village have started marketing 50 items of silk sarees, three-piece and two-piece with various designs made from by jute net and jute silk.
Abdur Rauf, owner of Banarasi Kuthir, said, “We started the business since independence and still continuing. But, now we are changing the design patterns and bringing an innovative collection of different colours”.
He said the prices of Haddi silk, Raw silk, Kanci Bharam and Gade range between Tk 2,000- 37,000. But the price is comparatively higher for Banarasi sarees that are light weight. An unstitched three-piece will cost Tk 2,400 - 4,900.
Mohammad Hanif, president of Banarasi Tanti Paribar and also the owner of Hanif Silk, said Banarasi Palli kept alive the tradition of the once famous muslin. “It is simply impossible to imagine how attractive and appealing without seeing its ornamental needlework,” he said.   
He said sarees worth approximately Tk 6 - 8 crore are sold at the Banarasi village every day.
The most popular Banarasi sarees are jute net, jute silk, jute katan, muslin, tissue saree, cosmos silk, katan, georgette sarees, banarasi, boti katan, lehenga, and wedding sarees. Prices for most of the sarees are between Tk 3,000 - 15,000.
Ashfaq Ahmed, owner of Rana Silk, said the prices in the Banarasi village would range from Tk 2,500 - 18,000. Besides, the prices of katan three-piece and two-piece are Tk 1,200 - 3,200.
The Banarasi weaving industry has experienced significant decline since the early1990s. Policies to promote free-trade have harmed the industry. Cheaper textile imports have gained prominence with the advancement of the Negotiations on Non- Agricultural Market Access (NAMA) by the World Trade Organisation (WTO), which have lead to freezing or lowering of import tariffs, including on textiles like sarees.
Due to its high maintenance and high cost, people hardly prefer this spectacular attire. And weavers too are neither getting sufficient returns to meet their expenses nor the social status they deserve.
With population growth among the weavers, there is more supply of skilled labour and less matching demand. This has led to lower wages for the weavers. Since the 1990s, labour wages have declined to about half of what they were
earlier.
Further, fluctuating price of silk and artificial shortages created by suppliers have put the weavers in a precarious situation. Also, the advent of power looms has taken away work from handloom weavers, while middlemen continue to extract their pound of flesh.
The fashion market is dominated by fast-changing fads and styles. Today’s fashion is marked by convenience and low cost of production. The time when uniqueness of the creation was appreciated and patronised at a great cost has, perhaps, elapsed.
In this changed scenario, large volumes of sarees of low-quality are produced and are available at much cheaper prices. In addition, the weaving industry is facing crisis due to problems about availability of raw silk. This scarcity is often created by traders.
The open-market policy pursued by the Government has opened the country to Indian sarees. These sarees for their cheaper price, varied designs and availability hold a bigger attraction for the buyers.
It’s alarming that this industry might be heading towards extinction by the day. If necessary steps are not taken to save it, a large number of people will become unemployed, besides the country will lose an elegant tradition. It’s high time to look into the problems of the industry and come up with some solutions so that the industry can be revitalised again.
According to Bangladesh Handloom Board, In 1995, Tk 24.42 crore was invested in Mirpur Banarasi Palli under a project. The project’s revised cost was fixed at Tk 29.47 crore. In June 2002, Tk 18.81 crore was shown as expense for price of housing and others. Finally, the project was not implemented due to a stay order of High Court and the weavers of Banarasi Palli were not rehabilitated. Facing tough times the weavers of Banarasi Palli are being bound to leave the industry. In 200, there were around 12,000 weavers employed in producing Banarasi sarees in the Palli and now the number has come down to 8,000.

 

Banarasi WEAVERS face tough times

Business in Mirpur Banarasi Palli, a market place well-known for different kinds of traditional Banarasi Sarees in Bangladesh, is facing tough times. People, who used to go there to purchase the famous Banarasi sarees, are increasingly opting for trendy Indian sarees. The popularity of these custom-made sarees is losing its charm as colourful Indian chic sarees are more in demand among local buyers. Actresses in Hindi movies and Indian TV serials do not wear Banarasi sarees. Maybe, that is one of the reasons why the demand for the much-desired traditional saree is on the decline, lamented Shahdat Hossen Mintu, owner of Fahad Banarasi Saree. Banarasi sarees, compared to others, with its elegant needlework, spectacular use of colours and beautiful and diverse designs were much in demand. Even a few years back, any special occasion like weddings would not be complete without Banarasi sarees. In the mid-1980s, the hype for the elegant traditional fabric reached its peak. At that time, it was even popular in India, which created a huge employment. The Benarasi saree, whose history dates back to the Mughal rule in the 16th century, has its origin in Benaras, a northern Indian city. In Bangladesh, Muslims who migrated from Benaras, started making Benarasi sarees in Mohammadpur and Mirpur in Dhaka since 1950. The tradition of making these sarees passed on from one generation to the other. This art was revived soon after the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947 when about 370 non-Bengali families from Benaras, presently Varanasi, came to Bangladesh. Among them, about 200 families settled in the Mirpur area of Dhaka and started making Benarasi sarees. Later, more people got involved with this handloom industry. As the tradition spread, the entire area came to be known as Mirpur Benarasi Palli, located on the north-western edge of the capital. The business flourished after liberation in 1971 as demand picked up. Osman, a weaver, describing the weaving process said, The yarn is imported and then it is hand dyed. After washing in hot water with soap, its sent to a factory for binding. After that yarn is handed over to weavers for weaving according to the design graph master. In the end, a beautiful Banarasi saree is the finished product. There are four main varieties of Banarasi saree, which includes pure silk (Katan), Organza (Kora) with zari and silk; Georgette, and Shattir, and according to design process, they are divided into categories such as Jangla, Tanchoi, Vaskat, Cutwork, Tissue and Butidar. Fulkoali Katan, Dulhan Katan, Mirpuri Reshmi Katan, Mellenium Katan, Benarasi Cosmos, Orgamndi, Katan, Brakett Katan, Reshmi Katan, Prince Katan, Rimjhim Katan, Tussiue Katan, Mirpuri Gini Gold Katan, Georgette Gini Glod Katan and Chunri Katan are some of the different types of sarees that are woven in Mirpur Banarasi Palli. The Palli is located in the 2, 3 and 5 wards of 10, 11, 12 and 13 sections of Mirpur, where more than 300 outlets display the elegant sarees. Recently, craftsmen of Banarasi village have started marketing 50 items of silk sarees, three-piece and two-piece with various designs made from by jute net and jute silk. Abdur Rauf, owner of Banarasi Kuthir, said, We started the business since independence and still continuing. But, now we are changing the design patterns and bringing an innovative collection of different colours. He said the prices of Haddi silk, Raw silk, Kanci Bharam and Gade range between Tk 2,000- 37,000. But the price is comparatively higher for Banarasi sarees that are light weight. An unstitched three-piece will cost Tk 2,400 - 4,900. Mohammad Hanif, president of Banarasi Tanti Paribar and also the owner of Hanif Silk, said Banarasi Palli kept alive the tradition of the once famous muslin. It is simply impossible to imagine how attractive and appealing without seeing its ornamental needlework, he said. He said sarees worth approximately Tk 6 - 8 crore are sold at the Banarasi village every day. The most popular Banarasi sarees are jute net, jute silk, jute katan, muslin, tissue saree, cosmos silk, katan, georgette sarees, banarasi, boti katan, lehenga, and wedding sarees. Prices for most of the sarees are between Tk 3,000 - 15,000. Ashfaq Ahmed, owner of Rana Silk, said the prices in the Banarasi village would range from Tk 2,500 - 18,000. Besides, the prices of katan three-piece and two-piece are Tk 1,200 - 3,200. The Banarasi weaving industry has experienced significant decline since the early1990s. Policies to promote free-trade have harmed the industry. Cheaper textile imports have gained prominence with the advancement of the Negotiations on Non- Agricultural Market Access (NAMA) by the World Trade Organisation (WTO), which have lead to freezing or lowering of import tariffs, including on textiles like sarees. Due to its high maintenance and high cost, people hardly prefer this spectacular attire. And weavers too are neither getting sufficient returns to meet their expenses nor the social status they deserve. With population growth among the weavers, there is more supply of skilled labour and less matching demand. This has led to lower wages for the weavers. Since the 1990s, labour wages have declined to about half of what they were earlier. Further, fluctuating price of silk and artificial shortages created by suppliers have put the weavers in a precarious situation. Also, the advent of power looms has taken away work from handloom weavers, while middlemen continue to extract their pound of flesh. The fashion market is dominated by fast-changing fads and styles. Todays fashion is marked by convenience and low cost of production. The time when uniqueness of the creation was appreciated and patronised at a great cost has, perhaps, elapsed. In this changed scenario, large volumes of sarees of low-quality are produced and are available at much cheaper prices. In addition, the weaving industry is facing crisis due to problems about availability of raw silk. This scarcity is often created by traders. The open-market policy pursued by the Government has opened the country to Indian sarees. These sarees for their cheaper price, varied designs and availability hold a bigger attraction for the buyers. Its alarming that this industry might be heading towards extinction by the day. If necessary steps are not taken to save it, a large number of people will become unemployed, besides the country will lose an elegant tradition. Its high time to look into the problems of the industry and come up with some solutions so that the industry can be revitalised again. According to Bangladesh Handloom Board, In 1995, Tk 24.42 crore was invested in Mirpur Banarasi Palli under a project. The projects revised cost was fixed at Tk 29.47 crore. In June 2002, Tk 18.81 crore was shown as expense for price of housing and others. Finally, the project was not implemented due to a stay order of High Court and the weavers of Banarasi Palli were not rehabilitated. Facing tough times the weavers of Banarasi Palli are being bound to leave the industry. In 200, there were around 12,000 weavers employed in producing Banarasi sarees in the Palli and now the number has come down to 8,000.