Quilt makers race against the clock in Rajshahi

RAJSHAHI, Dec 23: As there is a real nip in the air since the onset of winter, the quit makers in Rajshahi city are now passing unusually busy time receiving and delivering orders that keep coming in profusion.

The staff members at the city's prominent quilt shops are getting hardly any time to fulfill the demands of the customers who are pouring into there - often with a large range of orders.

While the quilt makers have to pass as long as eight months of the year virtually idling away owing to dearth of works, they are now managing to fulfill the orders simply working from the very early morning till midnight.

As prices of the materials have increased, the quilt makers said they cannot make much profit without increasing the prices of their products.

Visiting Ganakapara More, which is the quilt makers' hub in the city, recently, workers in the shops were seen busy sewing quits, cushions, pillows etc.

The shops were charging Tk1,000 to Tk1,400 to make a single size quilt with cotton, Tk 1,500 to Tk1,800 to make a semi-double quit while a double size quit was making for Tk2,500.

Trader Mohsin Ali said the price of all types of cotton has increased by Tk20 to Tk30 per kg. The price of fabric has also increased by Tk10 to Tk15 per metre.

Along with these, the wages for workers are also increasing. But that way they are not able to increase the price of the product.

Even though work orders are coming in a large number throughout the winter season, profit is not rising accordingly.

Another trader named Zahid Hossain said three types of shimul cotton are available in the market and depending on the quality, it is sold at Tk400, Tk 600 and Tk 800 per kg.

Besides, garments cotton is being sold at Tk90 to Tk100 per kg and corpus cotton and baby cotton at Tk250 to Tk 300 per kg.

He also said usually 3 to 5 kg cotton is needed to make a double-layer quilt.

Jabbar Ali, an old trader in Ganakpara area of the city, said as there are a higher number of weddings in the winter season, they might get an increased income by making quilt, cushions and pillows.

On the other hand, their business has declined as the elite people now largely use expensive foreign-made blankets in winter.

[email protected]