Weavers in Tangail are toiling hard ahead of Eid, the largest Islamic holiday, to meet the demand of Tangail sari lovers.
Taant saris are largely produced in Pathrail, Chandi, Nalua, Mangolhor under Delduar Balla, Rampur, Chati Hati, Alenga under Kalihati upazila and Bajitpur, Korotia, Santosh and Kagmari under Tangail sadar upazila.
Hasan, a resident of Mongolhor area and also a weaver, said: “We produce saris from early in the morning to midnight, as demand for the home-made sari has increased extensively.”
He said the traditional sari is the first choice for many women for any occasion, and its demand has soared ahead of Eid.
Ratan Bosak, owner of New Jagneswar and Company on Pathrail union parishad road, said labourers in the locality were working hard to prepare taant saris. He said: “We still have not reached our expected selling target.”
Ratan, also convener of the Tangail Taant Sari Traders’ Association Adhoc Committee, expressed hopes that hand-loom owners would be able to pocket large profits.
He said traders had to count a huge loss at the start of the year during the hartals and nonstop blockade sponsored by the BNP-led 19-party alliance, demanding a non-partial election under the caretaker government. He also hoped that hand-loom traders would be able to recoup that loss.
Weavers produce casual hand-loom saris as well as exclusive ones at prices that range from Tk330 to Tk50,000.
He said they had brought a new dimension in the designs of Baluchuri, Jamdani, silk and half-silk saris for the upcoming Eid.
The price of cotton saris range from Tk330 to Tk5,000, while half-silk saris range from Tk800 to Tk4,000 and silk saris are priced from Tk5,000 to Tk80,000.
Sapan Pal, an owner of handlooms, said: “It will not be possible to recover the loss due to the political unrest. But now I am busy with running all my taants round the clock ahead of Eid to recover that loss.”
Another sari trader, Nitto Rangan Saha, in the Bajitpur area of Tangail sadar upazila said: “Ahead of Eid, we used to sell products worth Tk6 lakh to Tk7 lakh at every haat (weekly bazaar) in Karotia. But ahead of this Eid, we can sell products worth Tk2 lakh to Tk2.5 lakh in the weekly market.”
Munshi Maksudur Rahman, owner of Sureshar Sari Bitan in Mirpur area of Dhaka, told the Dhaka Tribune that every day they normally sold items produced in Tangail of Tk50,00, but this year they could not reach their selling target.
According to Tangail Taant Sari Traders’ Association, there are around 60,000 handloom units in the district. Of these, 8,305 are pit loom, 51,141 Chittorangon and 892 are power loom units. Around 3,25,000 workers are employed as Tangain sari weavers.
