No festive buzz at Ishwardi’s Benarasi Palli this Eid

As Eid approaches, a time when the area is usually bustling with activity, Ishwardi’s traditional Benarasi Palli remains unusually quiet this year.

This century-old handloom industry is now facing an existential crisis.

The market has been largely dominated by Indian sarees, leaving local artisans with insufficient work.

A visit to the area reveals that the history of Ishwardi’s Benarasi Palli dates back more than a hundred years.

During the British period, artisans from India settled here and gradually built a thriving weaving community, producing fine Katan and Benarasi sarees with skilled craftsmanship.

In 2004, the Bangladesh Handloom Board established the country’s second-largest Benarasi Palli in the Fatemohammadpur area on 5.5 acres of land at a cost of Tk 21.5 million.

To facilitate instalment payments over 20 years, 90 plots were allocated to 90 weavers: 70 plots of 3 decimals each and 20 plots of 5 decimals. However, only seven plots had factories built on them, and currently, only a few of those remain operational.

Once, the area echoed with the rhythmic clatter of looms. Thousands of workers and over a hundred factories operated day and night, producing sarees. But over time, that vibrant tradition has faded.

Even with Eid ahead, the usual hustle and bustle is absent; only a handful of factories are running sluggishly, while most have shut down.

Artisans and business owners allege that low-cost sarees produced by automated machines in India have flooded the market, reducing the demand for locally handwoven Benarasi sarees.

If this trend continues, they fear the complete disappearance of this traditional industry.

Owners and workers in the Benarasi Palli say that although the project was initiated by the government, the expected number of entrepreneurs did not establish factories there, pushing the area toward decline.

According to loom owners, “There were around 1,000 looms here in the past. Now it has dropped to just 40 to 50.

With proper government support and easy instalment facilities, we could have sustained this industry.

The younger generation is no longer interested in this profession. Within a few years, this craft may disappear entirely.”

Business owners also say that while the area once had numerous factories and workers, it has now shrunk to just a few. Without government assistance, the industry cannot survive.

Businessman Md. Javed Khan said, “My father came from Benaras and started this business here. But due to the dominance of Indian sarees, we can no longer sustain our looms. The cost of production is high, making it difficult to retain skilled workers.”

Another saree trader, Wakil Khan, said, “In India, sarees are produced quickly and cheaply using machines. In contrast, we make them by hand, which takes more time and costs more. As a result, we are unable to compete.”

Stakeholders have called for modern technology, government patronage, and market protection measures to preserve this century-old traditional handloom industry.