1he Socio-Lconomic Conditions of

1he Benarasi Workers in Benarasi Palli:

Present Scenario and Iuture Prospect


















December, 2008



Democracywatch
7 Circuit House Road, Dhaka-1000











TABLE OF CONTENTS


Page

Map of the Study Area

Summary

1. Background
2. Rationality
3. Objectives
4. Definition of Concepts and Terms
5. Research Methodology

Study Area:

Population and Sample:

Data Collection Techniques:

Duration of survey:

Data Processing, Analysis and Presentation:

6. Limitations

7. Study Findings

7.1 Non Participant Observations:

7.2 Demographic Profile of the Respondents

SOCIAL CONDITION:

7.3 Education

7.4 Health

7.5 Marriage

7.6 Entertainment

7.7 Festival



ECONOMIC CONDITION:

7.8 Types of work

7. 9. Income/Economic Condition

7.10 Reason for Continuing this Occupation

7.11 Training

7.12 Issues related to Female workers

8. Future Prospect
9. Problems faced by the people engaged in this industry:
10 Recommendations:

11. Annexure

Tables
List of Participants


12. References




























Acronyms



PM- Prime Minister
IGD- Iocus Group Discussion
NGO- Non-Governmental Organization
BRAC
SLLP-Social and Lconomic Lnhancement Program
CDC- Center Ior Development Communications
RADDA MCH CLN1LR- Radda Maternity and Child Health Center
DP1-Diphtheria, Whooping Cough, 1etanus
OGSB- Obstetric and Gynochology Society of Bangladesh
1BA- 1raditional Birth Attendant
1MSS-1hengamara Mahila Shobuj Shongho




























J. Introduction

Bangladesh has a rich and ancient tradition o abric-based cottage industrv. Muslin. Jamdani.
Benarasi. Khadi- these are ew o the highlv acclaimed handloom industries in this countrv.
1hese industries hae been bringing name and ame or our countrv or a erv long time. Among
them Benarasi was associated or bridal costume. Presentlv industrv is not getting proper
attention but it has a great demand in local and international market. Recentlv it has attracted
large number o consumers in our countrv as a result o campaigning o the Boutique louses
marketing strategv or traditional stvle clothing which proed that the Benarasi still has great
appeal among people. Our neighboring countrv is exporting Benarasi products. Bangladesh also
has potential to export Benarasi product. As such it is important to know the present socio
economic condition o the Benarasi workers and discoer its uture potential.

1he studv on 1he Socio-Lconomic (onditions o 1he Benarasi \orkers in Benarasi Palli:
Present Scenario and luture Prospect` was undertaken bv the Democracvwatch with the
support o Social Science Research (ouncil. Planning (ommission. Ministrv o Planning to
know the socio-economic condition o the Benarasi workers o Mirpur Benarasi Palli.

2. Background

1he gorgeous and delicate piece o cloth which is known as Benarasi was not an indigenous crat
o Bangladesh. Its origin can be traced to a northern citv in India which is called Benaras. During
the Mughal regime this industrv lourished in the subcontinent.

Bv the 1930s Dhaka set up its own Benaras Silk Industrv (entre in Becharam Dewrv. in the old
town. Sarees were priced at Rs.150 and a bridal saree etched a princelv price o Rs. 400. 1he
main market outlets were in Sadarghat market. Islampur o the old town and bv the 1960s the
posh newlv built New Market near Nilkhet. One signiicant stimulus was in the 1940`s resulting
rom political changes. the moement or Independence rom the British and inallv the desire
or a separate homeland or Muslims. 1he result o these actors brought about the migration o
large populations rom one region o India to another who packed up their looms in 1946 and
came with high hopes to Dhaka to start a new lie. 1heir second and third generation amilies are
now residents in Mirpur.

According to the Bangladesh landloom Board the migrant communitv set up the Benarasi
industrv in Mirpur and Mohammadpur areas o Dhaka citv in 1950. 1hese two areas still remain
the hub o Benarasi producing actiities in the countrv. loweer. the Benarasi industrv is no
longer limited to the geographical area o Mirpur. Now the illagers in Manikganj. Sirajganj. and
1angail etc are also producing Benarasi saris. Some o the producers are now willinglv shiting
their looms to impoerished areas o North Bengal like Rangpur and Dinajpur where the labor is
cheap and abundant.

About 25.000 people are now inoled in the Benarasi industrv. where the number was one lakh.
two or three vears back. 1he number o handlooms has been reduced to 5.000 now rom 20.000
in 2004. 1he number o outlets has also dropped to onlv 100 in Mirpur. Research inding o the
Studv on Production o Benarasi in Benarasi Palli: Prospect o Deeloping \omen
Lntrepreneurs,.

1he Benarasi loom which has been originallv designed some hundred vears back is composed o
wooden. bamboo and small metal parts. 1hese components are set on the earthen pit loor o
the actorv. 1he Benarasi workers still work with this age-old piece o tool. 1he onlv change that
has taken place here was the introduction o jacquard design card, ater 194.

1he most commonlv used thread or Benarasi saree. the (hinese silk. is iner in qualitv and has
got a smoother texture than our erv own Rai.babi silk. India is being used as the transit route
or the import o 1hai. Pakistani and (hinese silk. Some portion o these threads is also
smuggled in Bangladesh through border areas. Benarasi producers procure these threads rom
the wholesale market at (hauk Bazar and the local market o Mirpur. See annex 2,

A number o serious problems are threatening the existence o the unsung laborers who go
through a tremendous procedure o phvsical labor and mental patience to produce a single piece
o Benarasi in one week. Manv o them are now abandoning the cratsmanship which thev
inherited rom their oreathers. In this wav an occupation based communitv is withering awav.
One o the members o Benarasi Palli Shop Owners Association said that the onlv actor that is
still keeping Benarasi and Mirpuri Katan alie is that arious ashion houses o the citv is still
promoting them. 1hev are our major customers.

1he Benarasi industrv in Bangladesh is still dependent on handloom while the Indian Benarasi
industrv is power loom based. Newspaper reports claim that our local market is looded with
low cost. low qualitv Indian Benarasi products weaed in power looms, with a design that suits
the budget and taste o the customers o all leels o the societv. 1hough the introduction o this
technologv is itsel a threat against the traditional handloom based Benarasi production in India.
in terms o export earning it gies Indian exporters an added adantage. 1his technological
adancement gies India comparatielv lower production cost beneits which the Bangladeshi
industrv does not enjov. Moreoer. better qualitv silk is becoming expensie dav bv dav.

1here are no publicitv eorts to make the customers aware o the dierence between genuine
hand woen Benarasi and power loom replicas. 1here is also the problem o lack o awareness
and understanding o the changing nature o taste o the customers. In this age o globalization
customers hae the opportunitv to procure the latest and trendv products rom anv part o the
world. 1hough as a abric. Benarasi has its own appeal. the lack o training and creatie
indigenous designing is also causing much problem or the industrv.

Present State of Benarasi Industry in Bangladesh

1he Benarasi workers o Dhaka citv are mostlv concentrated at the section No-10. No-11. No-12
o Mirpur. According to the Benarasi Palli Owners Association at present there are total 999
owners. 11000 weaers. 25 designers. 25 color masters. 3000 support sta inoled in this
industrv.

1he work condition in this industrv is also taking toll on the weaers and others associated with
the occupation. 1hese benarsis are made in small rooms with no entilation support or proper
lighting acilities. 1he work is hard. but the remuneration is low. So the cratsmen are becoming
ar less interested in pursuing the occupation which their ancestors held dear to their heart.

Recentlv goernment has been showing some concern or the small industries in the countrv. On
dierent occasions it has pledged to .improe eiciencv and productiitv o Bangladesh
handloom Board. It also decided to organize training or weaers and others concerned. proide
micro credit to them and extend all other help to make the prices o weaing products
competitie and promote those at home and abroad.` New Age. Vol 4. Number 315. Sun. April
18. 2004ol.4 PM inites big priate inestment in textiles and promises all-out goernment
help to local. oreign inestorsBSS. Dhaka,. Besides. the then 1extile and Jute minister Mr.
Shajahan Siraj said that the goernment had been implementing a project o taka 24 corer 42
lakh at Mirpur. Dhaka and another o oer 2 corers at Ishwardi or establishing Benarasi Palli.

loweer there has been no apparent relection o these high sounding words and promises on
the ailing Benarasi industrv o Bangladesh. 1he price o raw materials is still soaring. goernment
has no marketing policv to export Benarasi abroad and the workers are simplv plunging into the
black hole o poertv.

As mentioned bv the Benarasi cratsmen. in 2006 Bangladesh )avt Board allocated 1k 45 lakh
or 249 looms at nominal interest rate or distribution among the weaers. loweer. the und
did not reach the genuine Benarasi cratsmen. 1he goernment`s initiatie basicallv beneited
manv non-cratsmen internal migrants, who used the low-interest loan to set up looms there.
1here is no denving the act that goernment on its part also aces problems like presence o
middlemen or the lengthv beaurocratic process o implementation in executing its stated
program. But i this situation continues it will be diicult to sae this industrv rom ruin. Both
goernment and non goernment sectors need to work hand in hand to improe this gloomv
situation.

Lack o citizenship was one o the major problems aced bv this communitv or which thev were
depried o manv acilities. Recentlv. a positie step has been taken bv the Goernment. An
organization called Urdu Speaking People`s \outh Rehabilitation Moement` iled a writ
petition at ligh (ourt in Noember. 200 demanding their oting right. On Mav 18. 2008 the
(ourt ordered the Llection (ommission that those born ater 192 should be enlisted as oters.
Accordinglv. 29.000 are enlisted as oters out o 1.000 residents o 29 camps o Mirpur. 1his
means thev hae been accepted as citizen o the countrv. As such thev can claim all the rights as
citizen o the countrv. 1his citizenship status will sole manv o the problems mentioned bv the
respondents during interiew and lGD such as opening bank accounts. admission o children
etc.

3. Rationality
Benarasi is an industrv where skill and knowledge is communitv base. the reduction o cratsmen
in the communitv will also blow the death sentence to the industrv itsel. 1he reason is simple.
1hev will die with their knowledge without the scope o disseminating it to anvone outside the
communitv because there is a lack o proper incentie to do so. So to presere this age old
knowledge. this work o art. this svmbol o tradition. steps should be taken and thev should be
taken sooner than later.
Benarasi workers also happen to be one o the most disadantaged people o our societv. Due to
the stigma associated with their ethnic origin and the need to be concentrated in one single area
or their occupation. these people cannot moe out o the camps thev reside in. Population in
this communitv is increasing. But ciic acilities like housing. water. sanitation. education. health
care are not increasing proportionatelv. Dav bv dav thev are acing accommodation problem in
these oer crowded camps. lvgiene and sanitation condition is equallv alarming and the rate o
literacv among the children and the tendencv to drop out also need to be taken care o. lor
these reasons. this research has been taken up to depict the present socio-economic conditions
o the Benarasi workers in Mirpur as well as identiving and addressing their problems. It is
about highlighting the plight o a sociallv and economicallv marginalized communitv whose oice
has been unheard or such a long time.
Another equallv important reason or taking up this research is that the contributions o women
in the production o Benarasi are unnoticed and largelv unappreciated. \omen constitute a erv
important segment o work orce in the industrv. 1hough thev can not become weaer and
entrepreneur or phvsical and inancial problems. thev are engaged in reeling bobbin. cutting
loose thread and embedding beads and zari on Benarasi saree to make it more attractie.
Although Len a number o women work as entrepreneurs or want to be one. So another reason
or conducting this research is to understand and appreciate the contribution o women in this
industrv and to ind out the gender speciic problems aced bv the women.
Last but not the least. it is hoped that this research will work as an important secondarv source
o data or the uture researchers who would like to conduct research on the same or related
topics.
4. Objectives

1. 1o know about present socio-economic condition o the Benarasi workers and i anv
change has occurred in the condition or the last ew vears.
2. 1o know about their present inancial condition.
3. 1o ind out their work condition.
4. 1o know i the women workers ace anv gender discrimination in the industrv.
5. 1o understand respondent`s own perception regarding the problems persisting in the
industrv at present.
6. 1o understand respondent`s opinion about the measures that should be taken or the
deelopment o the industrv.

5. Definition of Concepts and 1erms

Benarasi Palli- Benarasi Palli is the area where Benarasi saree is produced and sold. In this
studv. section No-10. No-11. and No-12 o Mirpur Pallabi, o Dhaka are deined as Benarasi
Palli where workers are mainlv engaged in producing and marketing Benarasi saree.

Benarasi saree- Benarasi saree is a abric made out o silk and zari gold thread, which is worn
bv women in the subcontinent especiallv women in India. Pakistan and Bangladesh. Benarasi
sarees are used mainlv bv aluent societv during special occasions.

Benarasi Workers- 1here are arious tvpes o workers engaged in dierent stage o Benarasi
production such as: designer. weaer. thread processor and dver. loom maker and mechanic.

Charr or birni - 1hin wire used to tighten threads.

Charka -hand spin or cvcle wheel

Gulla or baw of natawa- Bamboowood spool.

Jacquard-cards perorated with holes or liting needed threads

Karchupi- Karchupi is a special kind o intricate gold thread work. which is used to make dress
materials more attractie. It is the process o embedding beads. zari and other decoratie
materials bv means o a special needle as sharp as ish hooks.

Karga -pit

Katha or shirki -wood or bamboo lat instrument used to orm loral patterns. Nowadavs these
are made o plastic.

Khalli -iron rods rotated to tighten threads.

Khuta-side posts

Lappa -horizontal wooden rods

Makri -upperroo suspended rods

Makku or dherki -ie inch long lat shuttle piece o bualo horn used to push threads let or
right as needed.
Phhana -bamboo read

Rooler -wood roller

1ana -steel plate

1urai belun- roller-beam

Urdu speaking community- 1he people whose oreathers come rom dierent states o
India. mostlv rom Bihar and whose main language is Urdu are deined as Urdu speaking
communitv. In this studv. the people o Benarasi Palli at Mirpur are considered as Urdu speaking
communitv.

Socio economic condition- Age. marital status. leel o education. occupation. wage.
occupation related health risk. working enironment. total amilv income. amilv expenditure.
access to loan. saings. work related problem etc are taken as the indicator o socio economic
condition. It will also include their problem related to production such as raw materials. and
tools.

6. Research Methodology

6.J. Methods
Both the qualitatie and quantitatie approaches were used to conduct the studv. A good
number o literatures on Benarasi workers and Urdu-speaking communitv were studied and
reiewed to get an oeriew o the studies conducted in this discipline. 1hese literatures were
collected rom both libraries and internet. Literature reiew has been incorporated in the
Background o the report.

Besides. two ocus group discussions lGDs, and seen (ase Studies were conducted with
appropriate check lists. Non-participant Obserations were also made bv the members o the
research team to get an in-depth iew about the socio-economic conditions o the Benarasi
workers. Supplementarv inormation was collected rom arious local leel organizations and
NGOs to alidate the inormation receied. Opinions o selected people associated with
marketing and promotion o Benarasi hae also been incorporated in this studv.

During March-April 2008 a sample surev was carried out among Benarasi workers at Mirpur 10.
11 and 12 which now constitutes the Benarasi Palli. A semi-structured questionnaire was
deeloped and inalized ater pre-testing or sample surev. A total o 300 Benarasi workers were
purposielv selected and interiewed. Details o the respondents gien below:

4 of respondents
Category of respondents
Male Iemale
Lntrepreneurs 49 0
Designers 11 0
\eaers 168 0
Auxiliarv workers 21 51
1otal 249 51


6.2. Data Processing, Analysis and Presentation

Svnthesize and analvze all data as inputs or designing a ramework or analvsis. Lach o the
inormation hae been documented and inallv analvzed and svnthesized to make them
meaningul. SPSS sotware was used or input. process and analvsis data rom sample surev. lor
presentation. Microsot Oice MS \ord and Lxcel, were used.
7. Limitations

1he researchers aced the ollowing limitations while conducting the research:
Respondents oten elt reluctant to answer some questions which thev regarded as
sensitie.
Sometimes it was hard or the respondents to manage time to gie in-depth
interiews.
Some o the respondents were reluctant to gie interiew because o their experience
with preious research works in the area which. according to them. bore no beneit
or them.
lrequent power ailure disrupted data processing and preparation o report.
8. Study Iindings
8.J Non-participant Observations:

Some o the obserations made bv the researchers are:

Majoritv o amilies o the respondents reside in a single small room house. Some raised
their beds so that others can sleep underneath. 1here is no priacv in such a liing
arrangement. Some o them migrant, lie with their domestic pet such as goat etc or
securitv reason. 1his was supported bv lGD indings where the respondents complained
that the accommodation acilitv is reallv poor in the camp. Increase in the number o
amilv members in a limited space makes it congested. Poertv een orces them to
sublet part o their small houses. A ew well to do amilies hae extended their liing
space in to two storied building as thev can not extend them as there is no extra land.
lGD indings show that some o the amilies use curtain in their main door or priacv.
1he members o the amilies hae to share communitv toilets. lGD indings show that
men and women use separate toilets in some camp but some use common toilet also.
Bathroom is separate rom the toilet. Most o the houses hae separate bathroom within
their liing place or boundarv.
Lach o the amilv has to pav 1k. 5 per month to the toilet cleaner that cleans the
communitv toilet.
1here is proision or public water acilities. 1he members hae to stand in line to collect
water rom tube wells. \ASA water supplv is aailable and ree o cost. But it is aailable
twice a dav onlv. lGD indings reealed that some solent amilies hae tap water in
their house.
1he amilies o this area generallv use earthen oen using ire woods khorir chula, as
thev do not hae gas acilities. 1hose who can aord use gas cvlinder or cooking.
1he workplace is congested. 1here are not enough acilities o light and resh air or the
workers.
1here is no space in between the looms. 1he weaers hae to cross oer the looms to
moe rom one place to another.
Some o the amilies hae loom within their house.
Most o the amilies hae Karcbvpi rames in their houses.
All the amilies own 1.V.. (D plaver etc or recreation.

During lGD. the members present claimed that thev hae good relations with the mainstream
Bangladeshi. 1hev socialize with them and do not ace anv kind o discrimination or problem
rom the mainstream communitv. 1he respondents said that some members o the communitv
do moe awav rom the camps to lie outside. But not too manv people can aord it. 1hose
who moe outside do keep in touch with the camps since thev continue with their Benarasi
related jobs and business here. Some respondents during the lGD mentioned that voung
generation does not want to lie here because thev are uncomortable with the enironment o
this area.

8.2. Demographic Profile of the Respondents

Out o 300 respondents interiewed majoritv 83, are male.

Gender of the Respondents (Iigure: J)

Gender
Female
17%
Male
83%


Age o the respondents aries between 11 and 64: among male respondents 18 to 64 and emale
respondents 11 to 50. 4 o the respondents are in the age group 25-34 which is ollowed bv
15-24 26, and 35 to 44 vears 1,. Nearlv hal o the emale respondents are in the age
group 15 to 24. 63 o the respondents are married. All the respondents are Muslim Sunni,.

Around two-third 62, o the respondents belong to nuclear amilv and rest to joint and
extended amilv Annex 1,. 1hree-ourth 5, cases amilv size ranges rom 4 to 9 and 15
hae amilv members ranging 1 to 3. Onlv one respondent liing in joint amilv has 25 amilv
members.
8.3. Social Condition
8.3.J. Lducation:
Lightv eight percent are 15 vears and aboe. Among them 4 are illiterate. Since this is urban
population corresponding national igure is 43 Population (ensus 2001,. lemale illiteracv rate
is 35 as against national igure o 43. 1his shows that although oer all illiteracv rate is
slightlv higher than the national aerage. emale illiteracv rate is lower than the national aerage.
Among the illiterate adults 82 are in the age group o 25 vears and aboe.


State of Lducation (Iigure: 2)

0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
60
65
70
I
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lit
e
r
a
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e
P
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im
a
r
y
S
S
C
H
S
C
G
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a
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a
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e
M
a
s
t
e
r
s
Education
Male Female



28 emale hae completed primarv leel education as against 29 male respondents and 1
emale completed SS( leel as against 19 male. 1his shows that there is not much dierence in
male and emale education leel. lGD indings show that the Benarasi communitv does not
discriminate among bovs and girls regarding education. In act thev hae shown much interest
or education o their children. 1his mav be because o:

1. 1hev are becoming aware o the beneits o education.
2. 1heir children do not want to continue their parents business and go outside or work.
Outside job market is not aailable without education.
3. 1heir children are now meeting mainstream Bengali children in schools and colleges. So
thev understand the importance o education as education is a big medium or them to
communicate with general people.

Among the adult respondents 49 are illiterate as against national aerage o 36 (ensus 2001,
Sixtv seen percent o the respondents are interested to studv in night school Annex 1.L,. lGD
indings show that. een some airlv well o elderlv respondents hae priate tutors who teach
them at their home. 1his shows that there is a demand or Adult Lducation Program.

Although a large number o respondents are illiterate or semi-literate. most o them are sending
their children to schools. Lightv eight percent o the amilies o the respondents send their
school going children 1-3 children, to schools More than hal 52, o the respondents send
their children to non-goernment schools including NGO managed schools and 40 send their
children to goernment schools. 4 respondents send the children to vaara.a and rest studv at
home attended bv house tutors .

lGD indings also reealed that the respondents send their children to local NGO run schools
such as BRA(. SLLP. (D( Run bv Al-lalah,. Plan International because these schools are also
located close to their icinitv and these schools proide books. exercise copv up to class ie.
Among these schools (D( take a small amount o monthlv ee in the saings accounts o the
disadantaged student to help them continue their secondarv leel education. 1he relatie
distance o goernment schools makes it inconenient or the parent to send their children to
those schools. 1he respondents inormed that most o the children drop out ater class ie.
1here is also two Open Uniersitv or the students o this area. Onlv 2-3 student go to
Vocational school namelv German 1echnical School and a NGO run school at Mirpur-10 to
learn tailoring. mobile sericing etc.

lGD indings also report that the school going children assist in the amilv business. 1hev help
their parents in works like /arcbvpi or other tasks. 1he amilies some time preent their children
to attend the schools because o need or their assistance in the Benarasi work. As such there is
high amount o drop out o the children ater primarv leel o education or non attendance
during peak season. loweer. the respondents unanimouslv said that thev do not want their
children to join the Benarasi Industrv as uture proession. 1he reason is plain and simple. 1his
proession does not oer suicient income to lie a decent lie. 1he respondents don`t want
their children to suer the same ate. 1hat might be one o the reasons or them to send their
children to schools.

More than hal 52, o the respondents preer ocational training or their children. One third
31, o the respondents aor general education and 16 preer religious education Annex
1.l,.
8.3.2. Health:
1he workers suer rom arious work related health hazards such as pain in dierent parts o
the bodv hand. waist. shoulder. neck. head and eve sore. weakness etc., due to long hours o
working in a particular position. 1here is no space in between the looms. 84 mentioned that
thev get ill due to excessie hard work. lack o proper nutritious diet. lack o knowledge about
health care etc.

Ninetv two percent o the respondents said that thev hae immunized their babies. National
igure shows that national child immunization rate is 81. lGD indings show that thev can
mention the names o the accinations such as DP1. Polio. Measles etc. Record Januarv to
December 200, rom Radda M(l (enter show that children generallv suer rom (ough and
cold. Inluenza. Pneumonia. Diarrhoea and Dvsenterv. Skin disease. Anemia and Malnutrition.
Mothers usuallv suer rom Anemia and Peptic Ulcer.

Lightv our percent o the respondents use modern medicine when thev are sick. In addition.
some use other orms o medications such as boveopatby t2,. Unani a/ivi) 1,. Onlv 8
mentioned that thev use bartv/ exorcism,. It is interesting to note that one third o the
respondents said that children are born in the priate clinicsgoernment hospitalshealth
centers. 53 percent said that children are born at home attended bv trained midwie. A
substantial number o traditional midwies rom the area were trained bv Radda M(l
Maternitv and (hild lealth, (enter. As part o the training these midwies were placed in
Azimpur Maternitv (enter and OGSB Obstetric and Gvnochologv Societv o Bangladesh,
Maternitv (enter as interns. Besides skill this internship has gien them the opportunitv to
acquaint themseles with serices and proessionals o these M(l (enters. 1hese 1BAs
traditional birth attendant, hae easv access to the health proessionals and serices when thev
take anv women there with risk pregnancv. loweer. 14 said that in case o complexitv the
pregnant mothers are taken to the hospitals. Annex 1.K,

lGD indings show that this communitv has regular contact with the Radda M(l (enter and
Marie Stopes or M(l serices and during last one vear there were no maternal or child death.
National igure shows that maternal mortalitv ratio is 50 per 1. 00.000 lie birth and inant
mortalitv rate 54 per 1000 lie birth in Bangladesh. In addition. health education program
conducted bv the ield sta o Radda M(l (enter might hae made the communitv more health
conscious. 1hev usuallv go to priate hospitals or medical treatments because thev do not preer
goernment hospitals because o maltreatment. Respondents replied that een in the
goernment hospitals thev hae to buv their own medicine. So it is better to go to the priate
hospitals where thev get better serices.

lGD indings also show that \ASA water is being used or all purpose including drinking bv all
the amilies. loweer. onlv a ew amilies hae their own bathroom. Most o the amilies use
communitv latrines. But thev mentioned that thev keep their latrine clean through a cleaner.

1his shows that in general the people in the Benarasi Palli are not onlv conscious about mother
and child health but also conscious about general health.
8.3.3. Marriage:
Seentv eight percent male respondents got married at the age ranging rom 18 to 26 vears. litv
eight percent o the married emale respondents got married at the age o 12 to 1 out o which
1 got married at the age o 12 to 14. 1his shows that child marriage among the girls is
common in this communitv. 1he bovs also got married earlv. Annex1.d,

Out o total married respondents onlv 16 respondents reported that thev took or gae dowrv.
Demand or dowrv includes cash monev. motorcvcle. expenditure or building a unit in the
second loor o the house. und to start business including a grocerv shop. trael and other cost
or a job outside the countrv etc. loweer. lGD indings reealed that giing or taking dowrv is
a common practice in the communitv although thev call it git which is embedded in their
culture. 1he bridegrooms` amilv relaties. riends and neighbors also instigate, expect that the
brides` amilv will gie as git urniture at least bed with beddings. wardrobe. showcase etc.,
dress. watch. ring and gold chain or the bridegroom. ie sets o new dress or the bride and
dress or the immediate in-laws. Based on the inancial condition o the bridegroom`s amilv thev
also expect teleision. (D plaver. ridge etc. Amount o dowrv also depend on gold ornament
and number o members accompanving Bridal Partv or atri). I the dowrv is high. the bride
side demands or more gold jewelrv and less number o bor iatri in the occasion. Although the
close relaties oten share the cost o dowrv or gits this is deinitelv an economic burden on the
amilv.

Respondents' Marriage Age (Iigure: 3)



0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
110
120
130
age 5 to 14
years
age 15 t o 24
years
age 25 t o 34
years
age 35 t o 44
years
age 45 t o 54
years
age 55 t o 64
years
Marriage Age
Female Male



1he respondents reported that amount o mohrana ixed during their marriage aries rom 1k.
400 to 1k. 3. 50.000. A little more than one third o the respondents who are relatielv voung
reported that their mohrana aries rom 1k.50. 000 to 1k. 1. 50.000. During lGD. participants
reported that older generation had less amount o mohrana than vounger generation. loweer.
the total amount is not gien to the bride on marriage dav. Respondents said that those who can
aord it. thev pav the ull amount o monev on the dav o marriage. lGD indings show that
there is no relation between amount o Mohrana and income leels o the amilv.
Most o the marriages are arranged marriage which is considered to be more respectable or the
amilv. In arrange marriages generallv a negotiator Ghatak: Lither proessional or relaties.
riend. neighbors, work as intermediarv agent to negotiate marriage contracts. Len i the bov or
girl selects their partners. amilv comes orward and arranges the marriage to make it appear like
arranged marriage.

In selection o groom prioritv is gien on job securitv and income 19, which is ollowed bv
behaior and character especiallv not drug addicted 14,. Some o them mentioned about
amilv status , and education 6, as desired qualities o a groom. Lconomic condition o
the amilv. good look or age does not get much preerence.

In selecting bride. qualities such as skill in household work including cooking 10, and
character. behaior 15, is gien preerence. 1his is ollowed bv beautv including long hair. eet
there is a belie that bride with a lat eet is more patient and adjustable. where as the girl with a
little bit high hill Khuro pa, is generallv impatient,. education and good amilv connection.
Lconomic condition o bride`s amilv. abilitv to gie dowrv. religious education and age o the
girl are not being considered much.

Marriage expenses arv rom 1k.20. 000 to 1k. 1. 00.000.00 and aboe. 1wentv seen percent o
the respondent`s expenditure during marriage was 1. 00. 000 and aboe. 1heir marriage
expenditure is relatielv higher than their income. (ost or marriage was less or the older
generation because o lower cost o liing. loweer. een among the older generation marriage
expenses were higher or relatielv well to do amilies. Relaties and communitv people oten
share the marriage expenses. 1his shows that amilv bondage and communitv eelings are erv
strong.

Marriage ceremonies include Pavcbivi engagement,. agav holdi, ceremonv. marriage reception
arranged bv the bride`s amilv. marriage reception rativa, arranged bv the groom`s amilv.
leruni returns rom girl`s parents house,.

During Panchini thev bring with them dress or the bride including pink bridal dopatta a ail
oer the dress,. gold ring. handkerchie. lower garland and sweets. 1he girl`s amilv initiallv
seres Sharbat drink made o milk. sugar. cardamom. pistachio. saron. rosewater etc,. Ater
drinking. the guest is expected to put some monev in the emptv glass. 1he Guests are sered
with dinner. Lagan loldi, (eremonv was held mainlv in the bride`s house. 1he bride along with
voung unmarried girls o the amilv and riends eats boiled ragrant rice and card sered in a big
plate. (ommon belie is that this will expedite marriage o these voung unmarried girls. Benarasi
is preerred as wedding sari bv the bride. All marriages are registered bv the Kazi marriage
register, o the localitv. On arrial to bride`s house ater \alima reception the groom is sered
with rice pudding Khir,. 1his is another occasion when the groom take this opportunitv to
request more gits beore taking the rice pudding usuallv gits to be asked and gien is settled
beore hand ia the Ghatak,.

Rate o diorce is erv low which mav be due to negatie attitude towards diorce. Respondents
reported in the lGD that separation is more common than actual diorce. It is also obsered
that polvgamv is common in the camp. but the respondents eel cautious to talk about this issue.

Majoritv 6, o the respondents said there is no domestic iolence in the area. Among 24
who reported about domestic iolence. around one third 31, o the respondents reported
beating and erbal abuse as iolence especiallv or dowrv. Other incidents reported are
altercation. amilv dispute due to economic crisis. clash due to drug abused husband etc which
some time ends up in wie beating. During lGD some respondents denied anv knowledge o the
occurrence o domestic iolence in the communitv. 1hev do not consider beating or slapping as
iolence against women. \omen o this communitv contribute economicallv in their amilv so in
case o anv disagreement thev retort. loweer. a ew o the participants did not agree with the
others. One o them said that i vou come in the morning vou will hear screaming coming rom
dierent households`.
8.3.4. Lntertainment:
litv ie percent o the respondents reported that thev spend their o time watching teleision.
going out with amilv. spending time with amilv at home. resting etc. 15 respondents spend
their time listening to radiotape recorder. Lleen percent o the respondent`s entertainment is
gossiping. Recentlv annual amilv picnic has been added as entertainment. See annex 1.J,











Mode of Lntertainment (Iigure: 4)

14 .7%
54 . 7%
11%
10% 9.7%
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
60
1
Entertainment
Audio (Radio ,
Cassette)
TV
gossiping
others
never take part in any
kind of entertainment


8.3.5. Iestival:
Religious estials such as Lid. Moharram. Shab-L-Barat. Shab-L-Meraj. Shab-L-Oadar etc are
being obsered bv the respondents. In addition. thev also obsere Lid-A-Miladunnabi. Morga
lateha lateha \ajdaham,. Akheri Budh Akheri (haha Shomba,. Kawali traditional Urdu song,
perormed in dierent occasions at Maiar o Khaja Moinuddin (histi situated in the area. 1he
lGD participants mentioned that Mohorrom is the onlv occasion where Shia sect o the
communitv perorms dierent rituals. 1he respondents present at the lGD were Sunni but thev
also celebrated Mohorrom in a dierent manner. more or un than as religious rituals.

Social ceremonies on the occasion o wedding. birthdav. Akika ceremonv o naming a new-born
Muslim child,. circumcision etc are also celebrated bv the respondents. 80 o the respondents
reported that thev regularlv participate in all these estials.

8.4. Lconomic Conditions
8.4.J. 1ypes of work:
litv six percent o the respondents o the surev are weaers and 16 entrepreneurs. Onlv 3
are designers. All these proessionals are male. But lGD indings reealed that there are 4
women entrepreneurs in the area who are actie in their business.

lGD indings also show that the most o the entrepreneurs do not get much time to be directlv
inoled in the production o Benarasi. 1hev are mostlv busv collecting raw materials or
superising workers. 1hev claimed that thev hae to work 12-14 hours a dav. 1hev complained
that due to lack o capital. thev can not buv enough raw materials needed to meet the demand
or required number o Benarasi sarees and other materials. 1hev also need capital to store spare
parts or machines. As such thev hae to make seeral trips to buv raw materials andor spare
parts. which is a waste o time and cost more monev.

Among the auxiliarv workers two third 64, are women. 1hev are engaged in thread cutting.
dving and Karcbvpi work. loweer. lGD indings indicates that since the Benarasi business is a
amilv business women in substantial number are engaged Benarasi work including decision
making.

1ype of Jobs (Iigure: 5)
Type of Jobs
Entrepreneur
16%
Designer
4%
Weaver
56%
Support Stuf f
19%
Others
5%

8. 4.2. Income:
1he table below shows amilv income o the dierent categorv o workers. 1he aerage weeklv
income o the designers is highest i.e. 1k.850.00. Aerage weeklv income o entrepreneurs is
1k.634.00 and weeklv earning o most 96, o the weaers is 1k.581.00. 1here is not much
dierence in the weeklv income leel o the auxiliarv sta which is aerage 1k.520.00. 50
respondents mentioned that besides them there are 2-3 other earning members who are engaged
in earning actiities other than Benarasi. 30 respondents mentioned that she or he is the onlv
earning person and engaged in Benarasi production. Onlv a ew o the respondents hae
reported higher leel o income probablv because o higher number o earning members.
Annex,

Average Weekly Income
No. of
Respondents
Average
Weekly
Income
No. of
Respondents
Average
Weekly
Income
Lntrepreneurs 4 634 1 2500
Designer 09 850 0 0
Weaver 15 581 6 11833
Support Staff
Others
4 520 6 3240


lGD indings show that the respondents were unable to gie anv accurate or een approximate
inormation about their monthlv income or thev mav not want to disclose. 1hev said een one or
two vears back thev used to keep regular track record o their income. But recentlv things hae
changed or worse. Now the whole communitv is going through a phase o economic hardship.
lGD indings with women group indicate that women get less wages than men or same kind o
work.

Nearlv three ourth 2, o the respondents reported that their leel o economic solencv is
not so well oten need to borrow monev,. 28 respondents mentioned that thev are
economicallv more or less solent.

1he respondents borrow monev or inestment in the business andor take consumption loan to
meet amilv expenses. 1hev take loan rom arious sources such as NGOs ASA. BRA(. SLLP.
Shakti. Urban etc.,. Bangladesh )avt Board. Krishi Bank etc.

1hev also borrow rom their relaties. riends. neighbors and shop-owners. Moreoer. thev hae
their indiidual cooperatie societv called ottery ociety. Sixtv seen percent o the respondents
said that thev hae to pavback borrowed monev with interest. Among them 9 borrow monev
with ixed rate o interest. lixed bv monev lender, and 8 pav compound interest.Annex 1,
Others borrow monev on a lump sum interest basis such as on a loan capital o 1k.10. 000. ater
one vearone season the loanee had to pav back 1k. 5.000 in addition to loan capital o 1k.10.
000.

lGD reeals similar indings that entrepreneurs usuallv borrow monev rom relaties or riends.
1hose who borrow rom NGOs like ASA or SLLP hae to pav high interest on the borrowed
monev. Respondents claimed that thev hae to pav 15 interests or the monev borrowed rom
these NGOs. 1his high interest rate actuallv raises their production cost which ultimatelv
increases the price o the sarees.

Around one ourth 24, o the respondents reported that thev hae no saingsthev cannot
sae monev. Among the rest twentv eight percent reported that thev sae their monev in the co-
operatie societv. Other options are bank 22,. at home 21,. at dierent NGOs 2, such
as ASA. BRA( etc.

8.4.3. Reason for Continuing this Occupation
More than three ourth 6, o the respondents had a number 5 to 24, o vears o work
experience on dierent areas o Benarasi productions.
1hirtv one percent reported that thev chose this proession since thev do not hae anv other
skills. 2 o the respondents said that thev are continuing with this proession since thev do
not hae anv other options. Other responses include: economic condition was good when thev
joined the proession and thev are still hoping that condition will improe. other work requires
more labor. adantage o combining economic work with household work or working within the
housing area. opportunitv to learn and work Karcbvpi work during leisure time and earn
additional income.

lGD indings show that respondents hae deep passion or their proession but at the same
time expressed their grieances as dav bv dav it is becoming diicult to hold on to this age old
cratsmanship. 1hev hae little incentie to carrv on this proession. 1hev are readv to change
their proession i thev ind anv better alternatie which would proide suicient income to
improe their standard o liing.
8.4.4. 1raining:
Seentv six percent o the respondents hae no institutional training related to their job. 58
reported that thev need training. A little more than two third 64, o the respondents opined
that. i necessarv training programs are imparted. thev will be able to produce other products like
scar. wall-mat. three-piece or Shalwar Kamiz. bed-coer. pillow coer. cushion coer. purse
etc.





Need for 1raining (Iigure: 6)

Training
Yes
24%
No
76%



lGD indings show that the participants want to hae training in design. marketing and
entrepreneurship rather than just on how to improe the skill in weaing. dving. /arcbvpi work
etc.

Sixtv percent o the respondents said that thev work 10-12 hours a dav which o course aries
according to demand o the product.


Case J:
Mohammad Nadim 32, is an inhabitant o Mirpur Muslim (amp. le passed lS( and enrolled or a BA
degree. but could not continue due to inancial problem. le was married at the age o 25 and has one son
who is studving in a local kindergarten school. le works as a designer. Initiallv he learnt the skill o
designing rom other designers o the (amp. In Bangladesh no training acilitv is aailable or the
designers. Nadim took training rom a person who came rom Banaras India, to isit his relatie. Later
on Nadim went to India with this person and took training oer there. In India. there is high inestment
on training and continuous improement o designs. le inds iniltration o illegal Indian product as a
major challenge to the local industrv and hence he wants increased goernment sureillance and attention
on the issue. le also suggested that more media coerage or promoting the product o Mirpur Benarasi
Palli is required to boost up this handicrat industrv.


litv six percent o the respondents get their pavment on piece work basis. 39 o the
respondents reported that thev get their wages on weeklv basis. \orkers work or six davs a
week rom Saturdav to 1hursdav and get their wages on lridav. More than three ourth , o
the respondents reported that thev get their wages on time. 92 o the respondents reported
that their current wage is not suicient or them. graph

lGD indings show that thev get their wage on time but thev get irregular work order rom the
shop owner. \omen get ewer wages than men or same piece o work. Designers work on
contract basis. paid on the basis o qualitv and demand or the design. Generallv thev earn more
income.

Seentv nine percent o the respondents reported that the pressure o work is not same all
through the vear. During the occasion o Lid. \edding. Durga Puja. Moharram etc their work
pressure is more and ater these occasions and during rainv season thev hae less work.

About three ourth 4, o the respondents said that in case o anv damage in the products
thev hae to bear the expense. 12 said that both owner and worker jointlv share the loss. Onlv
14 reported that the owners bear the damage expense.

Nature of compensation for damage (Iigure: 7)

Nature of compensation for damage
Entrepreneur/
owner
14%
Worker (self)
74%
Both
12%



litv three percent said that worker-owner relationship is good. 46 o the respondents said
worker-owner relationship is moderate.

A little more than hal 51, o the respondents among the 300 are not a member o anv
association or dierent reasons. 28 o the respondents are members o dierent association
such as SLLP. Shakti. 1MSS. SAVL. ASA. Owner`s Association. )avti bavity. Lotterv Shamitv.
Bihari Shamitv etc. 21 said thev hae no organization. association or cooperatie societv
around the communitv.

Seentv percent o the respondents are not inoled in anv other job except Benarasi
production. Rests are inoled in other jobs such as Karcbvpi work not on Benarasi,. handicrat.
business. driing. working as cook 9,. mason 9,. urniture maker 9, etc.

lGD respondents said that thev do not ace extortion or Cbavaa baii or rent seeking problems.
loweer. thev said that since the show room owners hae the monopolv or marketing the
products. thev ix low purchase rate o the sarees rom the producers and sale at a much higher
prices.
8.5. Issues Related to Iemale Workers
1he reason behind less scope or women to work as entrepreneurs or weaers are: the societv
considers that it is a matter o dishonor or woman to work outside or work on the loom. male
members get irritated. women cannot operate machines as operating loom is hard work it is
tough or women. lack o skill. pressure o household work. phvsical weakness. low wages. etc.
lortv six percent o the respondents reported that their wage is lower than that o the male
workers.
Ninetv six percent o the emale respondents do not ace anv resistance rom the amilv or
communitv or the work thev do relate to Benarasi. 42 o the respondents reported that their
work load was not reduced during pregnancv. Annex 1,
As mentioned earlier. women are mostlv inoled in Benarasi related auxiliarv actiities. 1here
are onlv a ew women entrepreneurs in this communitv.
(ase Studies show that in both the cases amilv members especiallv husbands are proiding not
onlv moral support but also dierent kinds o business support to these women in order to
establish themseles as reasonablv successul entrepreneurs. 1hev are conident enough een to
go or procurement o raw materials and marketing o the products in case husband is unable to
support.
lGD indings reeal that women`s economic inolement to Benarasi is amiliar to their
communitv. \omen and children do the work Karchupi. embroiderv. cutting thread etc, in their
home: one room house. small. narrow and congested. It is diicult or the amilv members to
moe around. 1heir work is also hampered due to insuicient light. particularlv during cloudv
weather. In some cases water enters the houses during rainv season when rain water submerges
the area.
Most o them mentioned that. thev were engaged in this proession to support their amilv.
Some o them are the main earning members o the amilv. as thev do not hae anv adult male
earning member or their male members are not capable o supporting the amilv.
\omen generallv work 56 hours dailv besides household works. Sometimes thev hae to work
8-9 hours per dav especiallv during pick business season. In some emergencv cases thev work
een at night. 1heir children oten help them in their work. In some cases the male members o
the amilv help them in household work when thev are busv in Karcbvpi work.



Case 2:
Among the entrepreneurs o Mirpur Benarasi Palli Guria is one o the emale entrepreneurs in the
business. 1wentv ie vears old Guria is married with one girl child o 3 n hal vr. She joined this
business independentlv ten vears ago. but is in this proession rom childhood as her entire amilv is
inoled in this business and presentlv thev are helping her.
She owned two Benarasi looms. one is in her house and the other is rented outside the house. She
gets tk. 400 rom that loom. She has started the business with the loan taken rom SLLP. She had
no capital besides this loan o tk. 5.000. which she has to pav tk. 20 per week. She repaid the loan
in one vear. She mentioned that she want to extend her business.
ler brother in law assists her in buving raw materials. collect rent rom loom user. Although she
has mobilitv to go outside or raw material shopping. but she usuallv eel reluctant to go or raw
material shopping as she has a daughter o 3vr at home.
She preseres raw materials at her home. but she mentioned that she does not hae to keep this
thing or more than one week. Both Guria and her brother in law mentioned that their business
was better during Lrshad Lx-President, regime. but currentlv their business is not well.
Guria`s monthlv income is tk. 4.500 app., as she get loom rent tk. 400. tk. 50 per sari and tk.10 per
saree or karchupi work. She mentioned that in one week one to two saris can be produced rom
one tant. She also reported that she and her mother can do Karchupi on 56 sari in a dav. She can
sae monev ater all her expenses. She saes her monev in their local Lotterv Shamitv.
\hen asked about problem. she mentioned that the shop-owners do not want to share proit. 1hev
buv saris onlv i it has good color and design. She also mentioned that all the shop-owner ollow
the same policv when it comes to buv sari rom them. 1he entrepreneurs and weaers do not hae
the unitv like the shop owner that`s whv thev can not ight or their rights.
She recommends that i Benarasi sari could be exported. the demand o Benarasi will increase with
demand.

Case 3:
Nurjahan. wie o Mohammad Nasim both hae separate identitv as entrepreneurs. Nurjahan.
mostlv known as Malo apa has started her own business in the vear 2002. Beore that she assisted
her husband in the business. She has 4 children. two girls and two bovs and all o them are
students. She lied in a one storied building paka house,. has a bed made o rot iron. wardrobe.
ridge. teleision. showcase etc. She has electricitv in her house. She also has separate kitchen and
bathroom in the house which is coered with curtain. 1hev use common toilet outside the house.
She and her husband had built a banker oer the bed where the girls sleep at night and in the dav
thev use this space or Karchupi work.
Nurjahan has started her business with capital rom her saings and bought two looms. Later she
took tk. 5.000 loan rom Bangladesh Krishi Bank and bought another two looms. She has
appointed eight weaers to work or her. She mentioned that in a week 34 sari can be made
through one loom. She pavs a wage o tk.300 to each weaer per week. She bought designs rom
the design master cost o which aries rom tk.150 to tk. 5.000. linished products then taken to the
showroom owners or sale. Nurjahan mentioned that showroom owners gie them a proit o tk.50
per sari. She reported that showroom owners do not want to gie more than tk. 50.
She explained that generallv her husband buv raw materials rom the local market but i needed she
can go and buv raw materials too. She reported that at a time thev buv threads or 10 saris. Per kg
thread costs tk. 180. 1hev used to buv pure silk threads beore which now costs tk.3. 000. 1hat`s
whv thev buv (hinese Polvester, threads rather than silk threads. 1hev call it Dengu 1ana.
Regular sericing o the looms is generallv done bv the weaers. but Nurjahan and her amilv
participate in it on the dav o ateba A religious rituals,. She also earns tk 200 per dav rom
Karchupi work. ler children help her in the Karchupi work. She can sae some monev ater
household expenditure. children`s education expense and paving her emplovees. She wants to
extend her business but due to shortage o place she can not do it.


\omen embed beads. zari. other decoratie materials not onlv on Benarasi. but on cotton and
georgette sarees. 1he current wage rate o the emale workers is 1K. 80 per saree who work part
time in addition to household work,. Due to the declining demand o Benarasi their wage rate
has declined rom 1k. 200 to 1k. 80 per sari. Some emale workers are the main earning
members o the amilv who work ull time. 1hev get 1k. 160 per dav or working on two sarees.
1hev also mentioned that i thev hae capital to buv raw materials themseles. thev can earn
more. 1k.150 instead o 1k.80,

1he emale workers generallv sae monev in co-operatie societv like ASA or SLLP. thev take
loan with 15 interest rate against their saings and inest the loan in Karcbvpi work. 1hev want
to hae low interest rate. A ew o them inest the saings in insurance. Some o them use their
monev on their children`s education. 1hev also mentioned that i thev hae capital to buv raw
materials themseles. thev can earn more. 1k.150 instead o 1k.80,. Most o the respondents
wish to become entrepreneur i thev get necessarv support.

lGD with women reeals same indings regarding health. education. estials. marriage and
goernment support as mentioned in the preious sections.
8.6. Iuture Prospect

More than hal 54, o the respondents wish to continue with this proession in the uture i
the working condition including reasonable price o the raw materials and procurement process.
marketing. scope or training. policv to stop import o Benarasi rom neighboring countries and
promotion o export o local products to other countries etc. improes. Annex 1.b, Rest o the
respondents are more or less not interested due to low wage. increase expense o raw materials.
hard work Benarasi work is much laborious than other work,. declining business etc. I there is
opportunitv. 29 o them want to go or business. 22 respondents wants to undertake
proessional work or in other cottage industrv depending on i thev get reasonablv higher wages.
9. Problems Iaced by the People Lngaged in this Industry

As mentioned bv the respondents during surev the Benarasi industrv seems to be plagued with a
number o serious problems which needs urgent attention. Owners. weaers. supporting stu.
designer- all hae a storv to tell about the particular problems thev ace. lollowing are the
problems identiied bv them:
1. Low wage has been identiied as the single biggest problem aced bv the weaers and
auxiliarv workers.
2. Unhealthv work enironment is another issue about which the workers in general are
erv dissatisied. 1here is not suicient entilation or lighting acilities or the workers
which aects on the health o the workers who hae to work or long hours. During pick
season weaers hae to work on an aerage 12 hours a dav. 6 davs a week. \eaers hae
to work in small congested rooms.
3. Some o the respondents hae complained that the work itsel is erv hard. Operating a
handloom requires strength and phvsicallv it is erv exhaustie task.
4. Owner-worker relationship is also not erv pleasant. Some o the workers hae een
accused the owners o not paving are wages. Owners sell their product at a much higher
price. \orkers said that onlv the entrepreneurs and the shop owners enjov lion share o
the proit rom the business. 1he workers hard toil doesn`t ensure good remuneration.
5. 1here is a classic problem o middlemen. 1hese middlemen deprie the weaers rom
their due share o the proit. 1hose in the lower chain o the production actiitv o their
due share o the proit. 1hev buv the products at a much lower price rom the weaers
andor entrepreneurs and sell them to the shop owners or the products
6. Some o the respondents stated that work opportunitv or them is not the same all oer
the vear. Sometimes thev hae to go without anv work or certain periods. 1his lack o
guarantee o an income earning option is another problem.
. \orkers don`t een hae a trade union or co-operatie societv o their own. As a result
there is no authoritv which can raise its oice against the injustices done to workers on
their behal. It also greatlv diminishes their bargaining capacitv regarding price ixation o
the product. wage or working hour.
8. 1he respondents are concerned about lack o ariation in design. 1hev said that the taste
o customers change oer time but the Benarasi industrv in Mirpur has ailed to keep
pace with the change. Also ashion o the dav is Karchupi work on Georgette sari. As
such Benarasi sari does not hae that much demand to the customers. Some others said
that these davs Benarasi sari is losing market to the more popular Katan and cotton
sarees o 1angail due to cheaper price.
9. Respondents hae also grieances about the apathv o goernment to promote this
industrv. According to them goernment support regarding Benarasi production is erv
limited. 1he number o artisans is also reducing dav bv dav creating problem o skilled
labor shortage.
10. 1he increasing prices vearn price shot up to 1k. 28.00 to 1k. 32.00 per kilogram rom
1k. 16.00, o raw materials are making the Benarasi product expensie.
11. 1he aailabilitv o cheap Indian Benarasi Saris with better design in the market. 1hev
complained that the show room owners and customers preer the noel design and less
costlv Indian products. According to them these Indian products are cheap because thev
are produced in power looms which reduce labor cost. Besides. Indian producers use
indigenous raw materials which sae them rom added cost o import dutv. During lGD
the participants appreciated goernment policv to control the inlux o Indian products.
1he problem o copving Benarasi design on cheap 1angail materials is also threatening
this alreadv ailing industrv and damaging its reputation.
12. Due to tari barriers imposed upon Bangladeshi Benarasi products easv access o these
products to Indian market is limited.
13. \omen workers hae their own gender speciic problems. Benarasi production is still
largelv a male dominated industrv. 1hough women do a lot o important supporting
works rom reeling the bobbin to embedding beads and zari. their work is not
appreciated and under alued. Some \omen also complained o receiing lower wage
than male auxiliarv workers or the same piece o work. So there is gender discrimination
when it comes to the question o wage.
14. 1he Benarasi industrv is no longer limited to the geographical area o Mirpur. Now the
illagers in Manikganj. Sirajganj. 1angail. Ishwardi etc. are producing low qualitv. low
cost Benarasi saris with reduced labor cost and sub standard abric. Benarasi products o
Mirpur cannot compete with those products.

15. 1he show room owners` sell the Benarasi products to the customers at a much higher
prices than what thev pav to the producers. During lGD the participants said that thev
want the right to regulate the mode o operation o the show room owners.

16. 1he lack o a settlement or Benarasi producers has been identiied as the most persistent
problem or the communitv. 1he respondents opined that i the cratsmen were placed
in a single area. it would be easier or goernment and cratsmen to delier the serices.
Respondents want a territorv o their own which will help in getting loan. Goernment
allocated land or the Benarasi Palli at Bhashantek. 1he amilies o Benarasi Palli
organized 1ant Shilpa Samitv to collect installments or the land allocated to each o
them. Some o the residence een paid certain amount o monev as installment but
management o the samitv derauded the monev. No action has vet been taken against
them. 1he price o the land has gone up which now thev cannot aord. Presentlv. these
plots are being allocated to goernment and non-goernment agencies. 1he respondents
identiied the ailure o successie goernments to ensure that onlv weaers get plot
allocation in the proposed Benarasi Palli in Vashantek. 1hev complained that corruption
is prealent in the allocation procedure as rich people with no background o Benarasi
work are getting the allocation using bribe. 1he chairperson o the Bangladesh Bihari
Rehabilitation (entre said that without anv permanent rehabilitation program bv the
goernment thev are not going to moe out o this camp.












Case 4:
Masrur Ahmed Munna nick name Munna Mahajan, is an entrepreneur liing in Muslim (amp
o Mirpur- 10. le is 58 vears old and is illiterate. le has seen members in the amilv. le earns
around 1aka seen thousand per month rom arious Benarasi related actiities weaing.
selling,. le is inoled in this proession ollowing amilv tradition. \hen he was voung he let
the camp and did arious other jobs or ten vears but could not do well. le returned to the
camp and got engaged in Benarasi actiities. Like most other o the Benarasi Palli he does not
hae ormal training on this skill. just learned the skill as apprentice.
1hough the demand or Benarasi is increasing. the workers and most o the entrepreneurs o
Mirpur Benarasi Palli do not make much monev. In the last ew vears a number o actories
hae been closed down. 1raditional weaers are taking up other odd jobs or liing.
According to Masrur the problems in Mirpur Benarasi industrv are: high price o raw materials
and competition with cheap Indian goods in the market. 1he control o business is in the hand
o new capitalists who are not traditionallv inoled in Benarasi production. So thev tend to
ocus mainlv on proit. 1hev hae no interest to presere the product as traditional crat.
neither thev are concerned about labor welare. le also added that there is long bureaucratic
procedure in securing loan and the amount o loan monev is not enough as the borrowers don`t
hae much to mortgage to the bank.
loweer. he thinks that ensuring sot loan acilities to marginal. small and traditionallv engaged
entrepreneur. reducing the price o raw materials. controlling the illegallv imported Indian
products can sae the industrv.






























Case Study 6.
Lmdad laque designer and proprietor o Banglar Mela` has made western clothing and
household things such as drape with Benarasi which is erv much adorable to Luropeans.
Benarasi made product can be an export item. he mentioned.
le said that countrvwide expansion o Benarasi industrv is a positie improement. loweer
he showed his concern oer the condition o workers in Mirpur area. Due to dierence in
culture. language. liestvle thev keep themseles isolated rom the mainstream population.
Lack o proessionalism has lead to the tendencv to be irregular at work. breaching the
commitments espoused in the contracts. not ollowing the ordered designs to sae monev. no
eort at experimenting with the abric. lack o creatiitv in designing and piracv.
Mr. laque recommends some point in order to hurdle this barriers and contribute to the
Benarasi industrv. 1he Benarasi entrepreneurs. weaers as well as the shop-owners should gie
proper inormation about the product such as what materials hae been used. what proportion
o silk threads hae been used. what tvpe o zari hae been used etc. 1he shop-owners should
ix price ranges or all groups o customers. \eaing patterns should be changed or example-
1anchoi. Brocade. Jute katan or usion with anv o this two tvpe etc.
Indian Benarasi market can be ollowed to deelop our market. Because Indian Benarasi shops
sell saris in dierent price range. thev mention the proportion o silk thread and svnthetic
thread: thev displav the technique o washing saris. 1hev also attach the silk mark bv the silk
board on their products.
Mr. laque also suggests that a goernmental isit in India can be organized to obsere the
pattern o Indian weaing. I our goernment can manage the wav o conersation between
the two countries it will help our priate initiatie as well as Benarasi industrv.
Benarasi has a great prospect in abroad speciallv in Lurope. 1hev use Benarasi as decoration
materials. 1his niche product can earn oreign currencv i Bangladesh landloom Board. LPB
etc support this industrv. Mr. laque beliees that a proper research on Benarasi industrv can
improe the ate o the people inoled in this proession. the consumers and the industrv
also.
\hile talking about the social condition o the Benarasi workers Mr. laque appreciates the
growing practice o education among the people o Mirpur Benarasi Palli. le considers
Benarasi industrv as amilv industrv. because the whole amilv is inoled with the business.
le mentioned that he does not beliee that weaing is a men`s job. It can be perormed bv the
women also. But he also told that certain tvpe o loom can be harmul or the women like the
back strap loom. le irmlv beliees that she or he who is better will do the job. No work is
gender biased. (hild labor is allowed in the Benarasi Palli and his analvze it positielv. le said
that these children help their amilv besides their schooling. 1hev are not taking drugs or
gambling outside. So their work should be appreciated.
Mr Lmdad laque has a uture plan. le wants to organize show in collaboration with other
designers rom dierent boutiques. 1his show will onlv exhibit Benarasi sari and product
made with Benarasi.











Case Study: 5
Ms. Munira Lmdad. Proprietor. 1angail Saree Kutir started working with Benarasi since 1985. At that
time Mirpur Benarasi Palli was not deeloped. 1he area as well as the Benarasi industrv lourished with
the coarse o time. According to her Benarasi industrv has improed but the Benarasi workers o Mirpur
could not change their status. She mentioned arious reasons behind their miserv. 1he main reason is lack
o permanent liing place o the workers o Mirpur as said bv Ms. Munira. People o Mirpur hae to think
o the price o threads and other raw materials. She said that people o 1angail hae managed to progress
their condition because thev lie in illage in their own home. Other reasons are their irregularitv. laziness.
indiscipline lie stvle. 1hev are not committed to their work and erv unproessional. Moreoer. the price
o raw materials luctuates.
Ms. Munira basicallv works on Benarasi sari. but recentlv she is making two pieces or salwar kamiz. She
works with the Benarasi workers directlv and works on regular pavment. She made her own designs. but
sav that she has to keep strict eve on the workers to preent design piracv. She wants to made original
Benarasi exclusielv. but could not do so as there are onlv 45 Benarasi workers who knows the art o
pure Benarasi sari.
She wants to work with Benarasi sari onlv in uture. loweer. she does not want to export sari directlv.
1hough people buv sari rom her shop and send them abroad.
She recommends that goernment should rehabilitate the Benarasi workers o Mirpur Benarasi Palli
immediatelv. I thev get a permanent place to lie thev will automaticallv get other training. Stable supplv
o raw materials will also aect the cost o sari. She irmlv beliees that Benarasi workers o Mirpur hae
capacitv to capture the market both in the countrv and abroad.


Case Study 7:
Mohammad Aslam lossain 28, is a shop-owner o Mirpur Benarasi Palli. lis grand parents migrated
rom India to Bangladesh when his ather was just a kid. le started working ater the death o his ather
due to inancial crisis. In the beginning. he worked or other entrepreneurs. le then took loan rom
Krishi bank in the vear 1996. le took oer the possession o their rented shop and started his own
business. Right now 20 loom workers work under him. le proides design or his entire sari. Aslam think
that present condition o Benarasi industrv is good than beore.
le said that he pav the workers or per sari. 1he price rate is ixed bv him. le mainlv produce sari. but
presentlv he is also producing three pieces or Salwar Kamiz.
According to Md. Aslam the state o Benarasi business deteriorate because the people o this area are
unproessional. greedv. lazv. and irregular to their work. 1hev take loan but do not return it timelv. 1hev
do not ollow the instructions o the designers and entrepreneurs properlv. Some times thev compromise
with the qualitv o the sari bv using less .ari. decreasing length o the sari but thev demand more wage or
per sari. Manv o them inest large amount o monev in the business bv putting more looms. But thev
could not manage to earn expected proit. Another problem is bank loan proided bv Krishi Bank. 1he
problem is that people take loan on the basis o ake loom. 1he bank authoritv does not eriv the abilitv
o the borrower. As a result thev pav back rom their loaned monev or thev do not pav and end o the
contract the bank seized their looms. send notice etc. Other problem is the internal migrants who come
rom all oer the countrv or more proit. Basicallv these people hae entered in the business suddenlv.
1hev recruit more workers in the loom. thev een use the helpers support sta as worker 1anti, bv
giing them more wage. 1hese tvpes o entrepreneurs are selling their products in a lesser amount o
proit tk. 50 per sari, to recollect their capital. 1hus thev are destroving the status o Benarasi industrv.
Moreoer. some entrepreneurs are migrating to then illages o 1angail due to cheap labor cost.
\hen asked about giing onlv tk.50 proit he questioned the attitude o the workers. le mentioned that
the workers want monev immediatelv ater completing the sari. 1hev should wait or a while to get more
proit. 1hev should make good qualitv product and then the shop-owners will automaticallv buv sari and
gie them more proit.
le is interested in exporting Benarasi saris. le said that i he gets opportunitv will send his product to
international market and dierent airs.

J0. Recommendations

1o address the problems and ensure the promotion o the Benarasi industrv. the respondents
made a number o recommendations. 1hese are as ollows:

J. 1he goernment should allocate an area or Benarasi production in the countrv rather
than spreading this industrv all oer Bangladesh.
2. As low wage had preiouslv been identiied as the single biggest problem. the increase in
the wage was considered to be the most important task ahead.
3. Protectionism was identiied as the second important actor. It was important to stop the
smuggling o Benarasi products rom India to sae the local industrv.
1he Goernment policv and program to export o Benarasi products will expand their
market and increase their demand. Goernment should negotiate with the Indian
Goernment to remoe tari barriers imposed upon Bangladeshi Benarasi products to
promote easv access o these products to Indian market.
4. Promotion o marketing o indigenous Benarasi products in the local market is also
necessarv to gie the industrv a necessarv boost.
5. 1he Goernment subsidies to Benarasi product would help in promoting the Benarasi
industrv.
1he goernment should proide loans with low interest rate to the workers or the
procurement o loom. 1he interest rate or loans should be decreased to 5. 1hev also
pointed out that the present amount o loan that thev get rom dierent banks or
inancial institutions is not enough or the smooth operation o the business. Presentlv
thev get 1k. 20-25 thousand as loan. But thev need at least taka one lac or business
purpose.
6. Goernment monitoring on the are price o the raw materials was considered to be
another important actor.
7. 1he price o the Benarasi should be ixed bv the cooperatie societv.
8. (ontinuous reiew and reision on design to meet the aried test o the customers is
required or increase demand or the product.
9. Better training was identiied as a necessarv step to improe the design and
entrepreneurship skill.
J0. It is also important to improe the relation between the owners and workers in the
industrv.
JJ. Proiding salarv on time. establishing cooperatie societv or the workers. concentration
o Benarasi production onlv in Mirpur. approing debt holidav. preenting piracv o
design. increasing inolement o NGOs in this sector or training. unding. supplv o
raw materials. marketing etc.. creating more emplovment opportunities and ensuring
regular work inside the industrv. ixing are price o Benarasi products. ensuring better
work enironment. establishing more schools. eliminating middlemen- all these were
iewed as important or the oer all deelopment o the Benarasi industrv in Mirpur.
J2. Goernment andor NGOs should assist in marketing o their products so that thev are
saed rom the exploitation o show room owners. Increasing inolement o NGOs in
this sector or training. unding. supplv o raw materials. marketing etc

JJ. Conclusion
During surev with dierent stakeholders designers. entrepreneurs. weaers. and boutique shop
owners, a number o challenges acing the Benarasi industrv in Bangladesh hae been pointed
out. Lack o citizenship has been identiied as one o the major problems or which thev are
segregated and isolated rom the mainstream communitv. 1hev do not hae anv permanent place
to settle which is an issue regarding their business. Both the workers and proprietor hae
mentioned that a permanent liing place can reduce manv problems o Benarasi industrv.
1hroughout the research it has been obsered bv the researchers that their economic condition is
not satisactorv according to their liing stvle. loweer. thev hae lots o cultural aspect and thev
inest a lot in these estials een curtailing their primarv needs. I thev reduce these social costs
and inest them in their essential requirement it will improe their liing standard.
Although thev are illiterate thev are erv education conscious. 1he adult members send their
children or vounger one`s to schools or learning. 1he people o Benarasi Palli hae started
understanding the necessitv o education and i thev replv their learning to their proession thev
can improe their status as well as their business.

1he people o Benarasi Palli are erv conscious about maternal and child health een though
their liing spaces are narrow. water and sanitation condition is poor.

(reating and sustaining a market or our Benarasi product oerseas and instituting some
goernment incenties and initiaties to promote export hae been highlighted bv a number o
interiewees. 1he owners o renowned boutique houses o the citv pointed out that there is
tremendous potential or this industrv in Bangladesh i proper goernment attention was
receied. 1hev are o opinion that qualitv Benarasi product rom Bangladesh has high demand
outside the countrv. But exporting these products on a large scale requires goernment
sponsorship. 1o capture market or these products-domestic or oerseas. qualitv control and
standardization are must.

During the ield isit. researchers ound out that there is a large ariation o Benarasi products o
the same categorv. (onsumers also complain about the deteriorating qualitv o the Benarasi
sarees. Lntrepreneurs hae a storv to tell in their deense. 1he rising cost o raw materials is
orcing them to compromise with the qualitv o saree. lor example one entrepreneur said that
one pound o better qualitv (hinese silk cost them taka 3.200 whereas thev can buv lower qualitv
(hinese silk at onlv taka 180. 1hev claim that the shop owners do not want to pav more or
better qualitv Benarasi. So inesting the same amount o energv. eort and labor or less
remuneratie qualitv saree is not a wise business option or them.

\hen it comes to expanding the oerseas market or Benarasi another important reelation
needs to be made. 1he industrv people here in Bangladesh do not hae anv clear idea or plan
about exporting their products outside the countrv. All thev can understand and relate to is that
during r.baa regime oreign delegations to this countrv used to procure a lot o Benarasi sarees
rom Mirpur. 1hose golden davs are oer or them now.

But those who want to work on this niche o abric and those who dream o spreading its magic
worldwide thinks that Benarasi has lots o potential to attract international market. 1hev think
that we can tap on this emerging market o exotic. intrinsic art o clothing i we get appropriate
goernment sponsorship. Goernment can subsidize this sector bv proiding credit. building
necessarv social. economic and inancial inrastructure. arranging marketing campaigns
worldwide. negotiating with interested buvers. In this age o ree market economv total and
absolute goernment interention in anv sector o the economv is neither possible nor welcome.
1he policv interention to support and encourage priate sector inestment in this area is
urgentlv needed. At the same time a minimum leel o goernment support is necessarv to gie
the entrepreneurs the much needed guarantee o their inestment in this new endeaor to export
Benarasi products. All that entrepreneurs are asking or is the smoothening o their wav ahead. A
little goernment recognition o the imporatance o the sector and the establishment o a healthv
enironment or business can make a big dierence. As it has been mentioned earlier qualitv
control and standard setting are the two important issue areas which the goernment has to
address. 1he example o Indian Benarasi industrv can reallv help our policv makers a lot in this
respect.