Khulna handicraft industry beset with problems

Khulna’s handicraft industry is beset with problems, with over 100 handicraft shops, mostly run by women entrepreneurs, struggling to survive owing to lack of capital, marketing facilities and due patronage by the government departments concerned. Each handicraft shop specialises in block printed dresses, wares made of bamboo and cane, bed sheets and bed covers, and hand-woven “Nakshi Kantha”, and employs at least 20 workers, most of them destitute women, college or university students, who work part-time to meet petty expenses. Several entrepreneurs who spoke to this Correspondent said that they could make greater headway in the handicraft business if government institutions like the Social Welfare Department or non-governmental organisations come forward to provide financial support and impart skills training. Funds are the biggest constraint as far as promotion of the handicraft industry is concerned and micro-credit on easy terms and at low rates of interest will be a big boost for the trade. Unfortunately, though, neither the Social Welfare Department nor any NGO is standing by them, the entrepreneurs lamented.
For instance, Lutfun Haque Piya (34) runs a handicraft enterprise named “Piya Boutiques” at Moulovipara under Kotowali Thana in Khulna city. Eight years ago, she used to work alone but now, there are 45 women on her payroll. A majority of these women are impoverished girls or housewives, college or university students, and take home Tk 500 to Tk 4,000 every month as part-time workers. Lutfun echoed similar sentiments that lack of funds is a stumbling block in the way of their progress. Sharif Md Badruzzaman, owner of handicraft shop “Grameen Bazar” in the city said that they had pinned hopes on support from the Social Welfare Department, Youth Development Department and the Women’s Welfare Department, but their apathy towards the handicraft industry frustrated them totally. Entrepreneurs like Sharif are of the view that the government should have a concrete policy to support the private sector entrepreneurs engaged in promoting cottage and handicraft industry in the country.

 

 

Khulna handicraft industry beset with problems

Khulnas handicraft industry is beset with problems, with over 100 handicraft shops, mostly run by women entrepreneurs, struggling to survive owing to lack of capital, marketing facilities and due patronage by the government departments concerned. Each handicraft shop specialises in block printed dresses, wares made of bamboo and cane, bed sheets and bed covers, and hand-woven Nakshi Kantha, and employs at least 20 workers, most of them destitute women, college or university students, who work part-time to meet petty expenses. Several entrepreneurs who spoke to this Correspondent said that they could make greater headway in the handicraft business if government institutions like the Social Welfare Department or non-governmental organisations come forward to provide financial support and impart skills training. Funds are the biggest constraint as far as promotion of the handicraft industry is concerned and micro-credit on easy terms and at low rates of interest will be a big boost for the trade. Unfortunately, though, neither the Social Welfare Department nor any NGO is standing by them, the entrepreneurs lamented. For instance, Lutfun Haque Piya (34) runs a handicraft enterprise named Piya Boutiques at Moulovipara under Kotowali Thana in Khulna city. Eight years ago, she used to work alone but now, there are 45 women on her payroll. A majority of these women are impoverished girls or housewives, college or university students, and take home Tk 500 to Tk 4,000 every month as part-time workers. Lutfun echoed similar sentiments that lack of funds is a stumbling block in the way of their progress. Sharif Md Badruzzaman, owner of handicraft shop Grameen Bazar in the city said that they had pinned hopes on support from the Social Welfare Department, Youth Development Department and the Womens Welfare Department, but their apathy towards the handicraft industry frustrated them totally. Entrepreneurs like Sharif are of the view that the government should have a concrete policy to support the private sector entrepreneurs engaged in promoting cottage and handicraft industry in the country.