The Bangladesh Handloom Board (BHB) is planning to initiate four projects including establishment of a training centre in the Chittagong Hill Tracts areas for tribal weaver development and diversification of handloom products to help revitalise the ailing handloom sector. Two other projects ensuring working capital, resuming closed handlooms and improving livelihood of weavers are also under active consideration of the Board, official sources said. Besides, a move is also on to set up a Handloom Board Complex in Mirpur area aiming to facilitate development of the country’s handloom industry. The Board has estimated the total cost of the four projects at Tk 4.42 billon. A senior official said the BHB is trying to upgrade social and economic status of handloom weavers by providing professional training, ensuring working capital, counseling to produce quality loom products and helping marketing at home and abroad.’ In addition, a ‘Handloom Polli’ is being set up in Shibchar at a cost of Tk 14.63 billon for promotion of traditional handloom industry. Besides, to reclaim the lost glory of ‘Muslin’ cloths, a project titled ‘Research for Regaining the Technology of Muslin Thread and Cloths’ has been undertaken at an estimated cost of Tk 71.80 million. The project is scheduled to be completed by 2016. Several training and market promotion centres will be constructed at the Basic Centre of the Bangladesh Handloom Board at an estimated cost of Tk 611.97 million, to be implemented by 2018. The Board distributed loan to 846 poor weavers against their looms up to July-March period in the current fiscal year 2015-16. Apart from this, the BHB has requested the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics to conduct ‘Handloom Census 2016’. The number of handloom factories approved by the Board is 265 and 40.89 per cent of total fabrics demand of the country is supplied from these. Handloom industry is the second largest after readymade garments involving 1.5 million weavers, 50 per cent of whom are women. There are more than 0.3 million active looms that produce around 687 million metres of fabrics annually, according to the Handloom Census 2003. Besides, the Board has been taking some steps to help boost export of locally-made handloom products, officials said.
