Kaliganj’s swing-making industry

For generations, artisans in several villages of Kaliganj have been turning jute, yarn, bamboo and iron into colourful swings, preserving a traditional craft while creating a vital source of income for hundreds of families.

Several villages in Nagari Union have become known as “villages of swings”, where local artisans make attractive, colourful and durable swings using jute, coloured yarn, bamboo, and iron and bamboo rings. Women, in particular, are making swings alongside their household chores, helping improve their families’ financial condition and transform their own lives.

The process of making a swing involves several stages. First, the main frame is made using a bamboo wheel or an iron ring. It is then woven with yarn and jute threads of different colours. Artisans wrap yarn and jute ropes around the main frame to create colourful patterns and decorative designs.

The artisans make various types of swings, including circular swings, chair swings and square-shaped swings with different designs. Strong jute ropes or iron chains are attached to the swings so that they can be safely hung.

The jute- and yarn-made swings have created economic opportunities in markets across different parts of the country. They are also popular for enhancing the beauty of homes. As soon as the swings are completed, wholesalers purchase them directly from the artisans’ homes. Swings made in the area are now even being exported to foreign markets.

The cottage industry has spread beyond Biratul village in Nagari Union to neighbouring villages, including Dhunun, Bagdi, Bindan and Senpara. Around 350 families, involving more than 1,000 men and women, are engaged in the industry.

Ayub Khan, an entrepreneur from the Bagdi area of the upazila, said the industry is currently facing a crisis due to rising prices of raw materials, including yarn, iron and colours.

“Artisans are struggling to keep the industry alive. If the government could arrange easy-term loans and modern training through public initiatives, this eco-friendly jute and handicraft industry could be taken to international markets on a larger scale,” he said.

The swings made by these artisans are no longer limited to local markets. They are being supplied to Chattogram, Khulna, Rajshahi and Naogaon after reaching the capital, Dhaka, and are even making their way to markets abroad.

Nilufa Begum, another swing-making artisan from Bagdi village, has traces of fatigue on her face but speaks with determination.

She said that once, women in the village were confined to their homes, while the entire economic responsibility of the family rested on men.

“But times have changed. Today, those women who once stayed inside their homes have become the main source of support for their families,” she said.