Our Correspondent
RAJSHAHI, Feb 03: Nearly 10,000 distressed women of 10 villages under Naogaon sadar and Raninagar upazilas have become self-reliant by preparing various kinds of rope using rags (Jhut).
According to sources, hundreds of women belonged to Ilshabari, Mothermolla. Chalkbulaki, Shimulia, Bolirghat under Nagoan sadar upazila and Enayetpur, Purbo Balubhora, Rajapur, Bahadurpur and Dariapur villages under Raninagar upazila were now engaged in a struggle to change their status of livelihood by making rope from the Jhut cloths. Many of them informed, by wiping out the poverty, they have now been able to bring solvency in their family by adopting the cottage industry. After completing their daily household chores, they are engaged in making the rope and ultimately this rope making has turned to be their profession.
By using the Jhut cloths, they were not only making ropes but also making 'Shika' (a rope-made net to hang utensils), nets and even bags. The women engaged in making the rope informed, ropes made from the Jhut cloths are strong and attractive, that is why it has a good demand for making betel-leaf sheds. Many women started to make the rope from 'Jhut' by procuring loan from various non-government organisations and most of them have repaid their loan and become self reliant. However, they said, had they got loan at an easy instalment in low interest rate from the government, they would work with more interest. They would also make floor mats and floor wipers and other usable with those ropes if they got proper patronisation and required fund.
Women working in making ropes informed they used to purchase a sac of Jhut cloths weighing 80 to 85 kgs at Tk 3,500 to Tk 4,000 (Tk 45 per kg) and after making ropes of a sac of Jhut, they sell those at Tk 4,500 to Tk 5,000. One woman can make rope from two sackful of Jhut in a week and thus can earn Tk 5,000 to Tk 6,000 per months easily. Because all the women are engaged in the work of making rope after all their household works, the profit is their net income and there are many families where all members are engaged in such job.
Ferdousi Akhter and Rebeka Bibi of Ilshabari village, Aklima Begum and Jarina Akhter of Mothermolla village under sadar upazila informed, each of them earns at least Tk 1,500 per week by making and selling the rope per week. By the money they earn, they can purchase medicine, pay educational expenses and day to day expenditure. They said, their condition is far better now than the past.
Aslam Hossain a jhut cloth trader in Naogaon sadar informed, there are several Jhut cloth traders in Naogaon and in Raninagar. People from various villages used to purchase Jhut cloths from those traders and after making rope from those Jhut, they also sell those ropes to the same Jhut traders. The Jhut traders used to sell those finished rope to various wholesale rope traders from Bogra, Rajshahi and Natore.
Nazrul Islam. Deputy Manager of Naogaon Industrial Assistance Centre of BSCIC informed, BSCIC was working to extend assistance for poor people and helps to establish cottage and small industries by the industrial entrepreneurs through providing them loan and training. He assured to cooperate those entrepreneurs willing to set up small or cottage industries in the district.
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