Abstract
The handloom weaving industry is one of the ancient cottage industries in
Bangladesh. Next to agriculture, it is the second largest sources of rural employment
and income. The present study is an effort to investigate the present scenario of
handloom weaving industries in Bangladesh. The study is based on secondary data.
The data used in this study were collected from different sources such as books,
reports, journal articles, newspaper and online sources. Collected data have been
analyzed through tabular, graphical and statistical method. The study found that in
Bangladesh there are about 183512 handlooms weaving units with about 505556
looms. The total operational looms are 311851, which are 61.7 percent of total
looms, and the rest 193705 looms are non-operational. The study also found that
handloom weaving industry is a promising sector to provide rural employment in the
perspective of Bangladesh. Handloom sector is contributing to generation rural
employment and income increase, alleviating rural poverty, substituting imports, and
increasing potentials for exports. Another important finding is that this sector
provides employment for the women labor force at family environment. At present, a
significant portion of local demand for fabric is met-up by handloom industries.
Therefore, government should take proper care for the development of the handloom
industries
Keywords : Handloom, Cottage industry, Present scenario, Bangladesh
Introduction
The handloom industry is the largest cottage industry in Bangladesh and traditionally, it is the largest rural industry in our country. It has an important role to play in the face of growing unemployment in our country. The industry has high significance in the rural development. Despite many problems, this rural industry is playing a dominant role in the country’s rural economy. Like agriculture, the handloom industry use traditional technology. However, it supplies about four-fifths of the country’s principal non-food consumption goods, cloth. Handloom industry produces certain products of finer quality that suit the tastes and fashions of the people, which cannot be produced by a modern textile mill. For example, handloom units producing fine saree, lungi, gamcha, and chaddar, enjoy ready market since majority of the consumers buy such products. This sector has a large number of energetic entrepreneurs who have the substantive inner qualities of business leadership, hard worker and probably thrift. The government at present has given much emphasis on the development of this industry.
Handloom and its History in Bangladesh
Handloom is a machine or device, which is made of wood and of iron (some portion) and used to produce woven fabric. Handloom is generally run without any electrical motor, it is run by man’s hand and foot combination. Handloom weaving goes back as early as the 17th century, when this sector was an efficient sector and played important role in economic activities of the Indian subcontinent. The manufactures of this industry as ‘Muslins’ was highly acclaimed thought the world because of its singular beauty and high qualified variety. The muslin of Dacca was favorite cloths to the aristocracy including kings, queens, and emperors. As late as 1972 Henry Patllo remarked that the demand for “Bengal’s textile manufacturers could never reduced because no other nation on the globe could either equal or rival their quality’’ (Mitra, 1978). However, from 1793 the exports of Bengal cotton-goods started to decline. This gradual decline of the demand for Bengal cotton – goods, resulted in the decline of the industry. There were some reasons behind it. Mainly, this was partly because of British commercial policy and the Industrial Revolution in England. Then England followed a selfish commercial policy, which was characterized by protective measure against Bengal piece goods. Between 1799 and 1824, exports from Bengal to England were subjected to a duty of 44 to 85 percent in 1833. The most important reason for the decline of the handloom industries was Industrial Revolution in England. The Bengal handicrafts could not withstand the foreign competition, which derived its strength from large machinery, large-scale production, complex division of labor etc. Thus, the main challenge came from the impact of Industrial Revolution. During the Pakistan period, the Pakistan Government allowed import of yarn on open general license and abolished sales tax on handloom products, which led to a tremendous growth of the industry in the early 1950s. After independence, Bangladesh Government set up a new Handloom Board in 1978, which took over the development of the handloom industry from the Small, and Cottage Industries Corporation. Since, its
formation, the Handloom Board has taken some policy measures to develop the industry. Handloom is considered as a priority sector for development because of some of its characteristics such as labor intensity, female employment, product demand and profitability .
Literature Review
Extended studies have been done on different aspects and issues of handloom weaving industries.
Several studies have been conducted on handloom industries in the context of employment
generation. Ahmed (1999) in his article attempted to present the socio-economic aspects of
employment generation in the handloom industry and its importance in the national economy of
Bangladesh. Sobhan (1989) sought the development of handloom industry in social context. The
discussion indentified the importance of the industry in meeting the clothing needs of the people of
the country. Raihan (2010) showed how rural poverty in Bangladesh could be reduced through
developing the handloom industry. He also found that now the industry is on the decline due to a
number of factors including lack of education and skill, absence of organization of the weavers and
smuggling of cloth from India. Latif (1989) did a statistical exercise for estimating cloth supplies in
Bangladesh during the period 1955/56-1986/87. He estimated the supplies of cloth by taking into
account domestic production and imports. Ghosh (2005) indentified those predominant factors that are
moving the wheels of handloom industry slowly. They found that shortage of working capital, high
cost of raw material procurement, lack of organizing capability, inadequate technology and efficiency,
lack of policy support and major forces, which are bitterly, hit the handloom industry
Methodology
The study is based on secondary data. The required data have been collected from secondary sources
such as books, reports, journal articles, publication, newspaper and online sources. The collected data
have been analyzed through tabular, graphical and statistical method.
Types of Handloom
There are two types of looms namely, handloom and power loom according to operational practice. A
loom may be operated manually or mechanically. Normally handlooms are those, which are manually
operated, and as such, these are distinct from power looms, which are operated by power. The
Bangladesh Handloom Board (BHB) ordinance, 1977 defines ‘handloom’ as a ‘weaving device
operated manually for production of fabrics other than hundred percent silk or artsilk’. There are
several types of handloom in Bangladesh. Such as: a. Pitlloom, b. Power loom, c. Chattarranjan
Loom, d. Benarosy and Jamdani Loom, e. Kamer / Waist Loom Among all types of loom Benarosy
looms are concentrated in Mirpur area, Dhaka, the Jamdani looms are specially operated in Rupgang
(Taraboo) area of Narayangang District and Kamer / Waist loom is found in the Hill Tracts of
Chittagong.
Input and Output Characteristics of Handloom Industry
According to the Handloom Census of 1978, the handloom industry uses 94.5 percent cotton yarn and
4.5 percent is composed of cellulose, synthetic and other types. In recent years, synthetic yarn is
becoming popular among the handloom weavers, as it yields better productivity. Synthetic yarn
affected the handloom industry. According to the Handloom Census, handloom consumes about 71
percent of medium quality yarn, and about 15 and 7 percent of coarser and fine qualities respectively.
It also appears that Dhaka, Chittagong and Khulna divisions mainly specialize in medium quality
fabric, while Rajshahi (in North Bengal) produces finer quality fabric. The yarn produced
domestically is not sufficient to meet the demand of the handloom sector, so the shortfall in supply
has to be met through imports. In 1985, about 30 percent of handloom yarn consumption was met
through import. Handloom produces saree, lungi, gamcha, chaddar and some other types of cloth.
The products of handloom industries in Divisions and Bangladesh are shown below table.
Conclusion
The objective of the study is to describe the present Scenario of handloom weaving industry of
Bangladesh. The study analyzed the different aspects and issues of handloom industries. It is found
that the handloom sector is raising rural employment and income, alleviating rural poverty, bringing
equity in the distribution of income, substituting imports, and increasing potentials for exports.
However, this industry is facing some problems, which are the reasons for non-operation of looms.
Therefore, the government and non-government agencies should come forward with financial and
other supports for the development of this sector.
References
Ahmed, M. (1999). Development of Small Scale industries in Bangladesh in the New Millennium:
Challenges and Opportunities, Asian Affairs, Vol.21, No.01.
GOB 1986: Government of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), Statistical Yearbook
of Bangladesh.
Sobhan 1989: R. Sobhan, “Employment and Social Issues in the Formulation of Policy for the
Handloom Industry” The Bangladesh Development Studies, Vol. XVII, Nos. 1 & 2, March-June
(Special Issue).
Raihan, M. A. (2010). Handloom: An Option to Fight Rural Poverty in Bangladesh. Asia-Pacific
Journal of Rural Dev
