Weavers busy manufacturing Benarashi sarees in Rangpur

RANGPUR, June 28: Weavers of Benarashi palli at Gangachara upazila in Rangpur district are now busy with manufacturing Benarashi sarees, as the holy Eid-ul-Fitr is knocking at the door. They are working day and night to make different varieties of Benarashi sarees.
There are around 400 handlooms at 100 Benarashi factories in the upazila where about 2400 workers are busy with 'Belbutti', 'Katan', 'Nakshi', 'Fulkoli' etc which have huge demands in different areas of the country.
Kashem Mia, owner of a Benarashi factory at Talukhabu village  said he has 6 handlooms. The workers are much busy making  sarees due to increased demand on the eve of  Eid. They are making sarees according to the demand of the buyers during this peak season. Those are supplied to Dhaka and other parts of the country, she also said.    
Farida Akhter, owner of   Fiyaz Benarashi factory at Habu Tantipara village told The Financial Express that she has around 30 handlooms. The demand for sarees has increased much ahead of Eid. The sarees which they make are sold at different rates between Tk 1,500 and Tk 20,000 depending on its designs and qualities.
The creative weavers always introduce something new and come up with fashionable varieties of sarees on the eve of various festivals, she also said. They weave yarn and turn them into different qualities and kinds including 'Nakshi', 'Belbuti' 'Katan' 'Fulkoli' etc which have high demand in different areas of the country, Farida added.
Some Benarashi workers told the Financial Express that every year the demand for Benarashi sarees increases ahead of Eid. They also wait for the Eid festival to earn a major portion of their yearly income. "Every year we make sarees with new design during the peak season".
"We get Tk 600 to Tk 850 for making each sarees, they also said. The workers said they embellish silk, georgette, tissue and other types of sarees. At least 4 to 6 days are required to make a Benarashi saree depending on design and decoration, they added.
Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) undertook a project to vitalise the industry in the upazila which started in 2009 and continued till 2013, BSCIC sources said. Benarashi Palli has already become famous in the country for its Benarashi products, sources further said.
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