Some extreme poor women in Rangpur becoming solvent by making paper bags

RANGPUR, Jan 24: A good number of extreme poor women in the district are getting financially solvent through making paper-bag at different factories of Baharkachna area under Rangpur city.

Sources said more than 400 extreme poor women of different areas in the district are directly engaged in manufacturing the product and thus they are supporting their poverty- stricken families with their income.

Tajul packaging Factory, established by a young entrepreneur Tajul Mia of Shalbon area in the city has created job opportunities for many destitute women of the region.

Paper-bag making has become a blessing for the extreme poor women of region as it has provided them a way to earn their living, Tajul said.

A large number of workers, mainly vulnerable women, are working in his factory and producing different varieties of paper-bags which have drawn the attention of the buyers, he further said.

Apart from local demand, they get order from different neighbouring districts including Kurigram, Lalmonirhat. Per day his factory can supply 20,000 bags, Tajul added.

"We get Tk 100 to Tk 150 for making 500 bags. Earlier, we passed days in difficulty but now we have changed our financial condition by making paper bags as it has huge demand in the market", some workers of the factory said.

Marufa Begum (35), wife of Akmal Mia of Sahebganj area in Rangpur Sadar upazila said that she had been passing her days in extreme poverty even two years ago. Her husband was a day labourer. She had to face difficulties in maintaining her family of six members with the paltry amount of income of her husband.

With the aim to salvage their impoverished family she learned the skill of making paper bag. Thus she had found the way to contribute significantly to her family income.

Some workers said their work pressure increases a lot ahead of Eid, as demand for such bags rises to a great extent during this time. They have to work from morning to night due to huge demand for bags during this particular time of the year, they added.

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