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Pandemic leaves Tangail’s sari industry in tatters
Sari weavers in Tangail are going through tough times for a drop in sales amidst the slowdown in economic activities for the coronavirus pandemic. PHOTO: MIRZA SHAKIL
Refaz Uddin, a traditional sari weaver based in Nagarpur upazila of Tangail, has been struggling to maintain his business for a few years now due to a fall in demand.
Uddin has continued operations at his factory, featuring nine handlooms and two power looms, by availing loans from both official and unofficial channels in hopes of better days to come.
His sufferings were compounded by the two-month general holiday starting March 26 last year declared by the government to shut down all economic activities in a bid to curb the spread of Covid-19.
Updated: 01 Jan 2021, 19:00
Locally woven muslin
Muslin is not just a fabric. It is inextricably linked to our history and heritage. There is no way to separate it from our national life. That is why a section of Bangladeshi researchers researched almost six years to revive this traditional fabric.
An exhibition of Dhakaâs muslin was held in London in 1850. Then 170 years after this exhibition, the same traditional muslin saree was woven in Bangladesh. The rare fabric muslin has now secured recognition of Geographical Indication (GI) as a product of Bangladesh.
India also produces muslin but the quality of Bangladeshi muslin is exceptional. The research team has already woven six muslin sarees and presented one of these to the prime minister Sheikh Hasina. The venture has not been an easy one.