Kaliganj's Weaving Industry Fights for Survival

Nearly 500 loom owners and workers in Kaliganj upazila, Lalmonirhat, have abandoned weaving due to mounting hardships with many switching professions entirely. Rajbari, Mahishamuri and Baninagar villages of Kakina Union were once renowned for producing colorful gamchas, sheets, saris and bed covers sold across the country. Today, that legacy is fading fast.

Rising costs of yarn and chemicals, combined with a lack of government support, have pushed the industry to the brink. About 150 weaving units in Kakina Union have already shut down, and the roughly 500 remaining weaving families are struggling to survive.

Weavers say the price of finished cloth has failed to keep pace with soaring production costs. Sayed Ali, a weaving unit owner in Kakina, said expenses for yarn, labor and transport keep rising while cloth prices and demand remain stagnant forcing many to abandon their ancestral trade.

Loom owner Abdur Rahim Mia said the industry could still recover with adequate capital and government support. "We are very poor. Right now, during the weaving season and we borrow money just to buy a little yarn" he said.

The Upazila Social Service Officer acknowledged the presence of several weaving units in the area and said the administration plans to provide comprehensive support including direct discussions with those involved in the trade soon.