Shefali Akhter and Rima, two minor madrasa students are passing busy hours in making embroideries on sarees to earn some money ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr at Lakuhati village under Hossainpur upazila of Kishoreganj.
Like these two sisters, thousands of women in Daliarchar, Nodar, Gangatia, Lakuhati and Gabindapur villages under the upazila have taken up the task of doing embroideries on ladies wear to earn extra for their families prior to Eid.
Their products include sari, kameez and stoles. The trend is also proving beneficial to those female children who could not continue studies due to financial constraints. Now they are resuming studies as well as helping their families.
These girls create the aesthetic designs with needles on the fabrics. The use of colourful threads, beads and glitters makes the products more attractive.
A destitute farmer in Lakuhati village, Mati Mia, discontinued bearing his daughter’s educational expenses as she reached college. His two other daughters and one son are still studying in school. In this circumstance, Nipa Akter, Mati’s school graduate daughter and her mother Parvin Akter fell in quagmire to manage the family expenses.
But as they got involved in the embroidery work being encouraged by other women of the neighbourhood, they are now earning a handsome amount. They said it usually took them four days to complete embroidery on one sari and they were paid Tk500 per sari.
Nipa Akter who recently started going to college again said had she not got engaged in the work she could not resume her study or support her family.
Nasima Begum and Morzina Akter of the same village dropped out of school while they were in grade ten. Now they have started going to school again after becoming self-reliant through the business.
Haresa Khatun of Daliarchar village said: “Generally it takes a week to complete one sari and it is sold at Tk500-Tk700. The finished saris are taken to Dhaka where the price ranges from Tk5,000-Tk15,000.”
Rahima Khatun, Jesmin Akter, Rina Begum and Nurunnahar of Nodar village told the Dhaka Tribune that every year during Ramadan, businessmen from Dhaka come and take the items from them to sell at renowned boutiques and shopping malls.
They urged the authorities concerned to extend their support to boost up the business.
Milan Mia, a middle man, said: “We provide the women with elements like glitters, threads and beads to prepare the sarees.”
Md Faisal Ahmed, a social worker in the district said thousands of poor women are now engaged with the embroidery business which has opened up a great opportunity for employment to the poor.
Government can play an important by providing trainings to these women to make them more skilled, he said.
