Traditional nakshi kantha embroidery is evolving from a household craft into a thriving small and medium-sized industry in Jamalpur, creating employment for hundreds of women and reaching markets at home and abroad.
The handcrafted quilts, made by rural women using needle and thread, are now sold in Dhaka and other parts of Bangladesh and exported to countries in Asia, Europe and North America.
The craft began on a small scale in the 1980s. Rising demand has since encouraged many new entrepreneurs to enter the sector. Alongside traditional quilts, nakshi embroidery is now used to make bedspreads, cushion covers, handbags, wallets, spectacle cases, wall hangings, clothing and other home décor products.
The industry has become an important source of income and financial independence for women in the district. Many women from poor and middle-class people across Jamalpur’s seven upazilas have adopted nakshi kantha-making as a profession.
There are now more than 500 women entrepreneurs involved in the sector, providing employment opportunities to hundreds of other women.
Several showrooms have been established in different parts of Jamalpur town, including Amlapara, Basakpara, College Road, Bakultala, Jigalpara, Munshipara, Miyapara, Daripara, Beltia, Pathalia and Panchrasta. Traders from Dhaka and other parts of the country visit these outlets to purchase nakshi kantha products, including sofa cushions, doormats, wall mats, embroidered panjabis, fatuas and women’s handbags.
Women entrepreneur Saida Begum, who has been involved in the business for 15 years, said she started with 20 to 30 female workers but now employs more than 200. Her products have also reached the Swedish market. “Christina, a Swedish citizen, is one of my major buyers. Through her, I was able to enter the Swedish market,” she said.
Nakshi kantha is produced in Jamalpur Sadar, Sarishabari, Madarganj, Melandaha, Islampur, Dewanganj and Bakshiganj, with the highest production concentrated in Jamalpur Sadar.
Shilpa Akter, proprietor of Deepti Kutir, said the district administration had branded nakshi kantha as Jamalpur’s signature product. She also said the craft received Geographical Indication (GI) recognition in February 2024.
She said the products and designs had evolved with changing market demand. “Alongside nakshi kantha, we now make bedsheets, cushions, panjabis, wall hangings, shawls, wall mats, salwar-kameez sets and pillow covers,” she said.
Although designs have become more minimalist, dense embroidery remains a distinctive feature of Jamalpur’s nakshi kantha. Floral patterns, vines and alpana motifs are particularly popular.
Most businesses operate from entrepreneurs’ homes, with the front sections converted into small showrooms, allowing women to run and expand their enterprises while remaining at home.