Banarasi village of Bogra is suffering from various problems including the increase in the price of yarn and the wages of workers, and also the aggressiveness of foreign products. Even though once there was no opportunity to breathe throughout the year, now the residents of Banarsi village are working to sustain the original business. Earlier there were more than half a hundred looms but now there are about 15 looms. Many have changed careers at a loss. In rural Banarasi, the situation is no longer the same. Work is going on in a very slower movement.
Gholagadi Colony of Sherpur Upazila is about 27 km away from Bogra district town. To outsiders, Gholagadi Colony is best known as Banarasi Palli. For ages, the main occupation of the residents of this village is to make Banarasi sarees. Currently 30 thousand people live in the village.
According to the villagers, after the partition of the country in 1947, most of the residents from the Indian state of Bihar came to this village and started living permanently. At that time, the work of Benarsi started with a few machines, but later it became more than half a hundred machines. The people of this village started their life struggle by choosing Banarasi industry as their main profession. At once, this industry brings happy days in their life. Women also join this profession in the gap between family-work. At one time, this industry was widely spread, but with the passage of time, its value has declined. Due to the influence of foreign sarees, the marketing of domestically made Banarasi sarees decreased. With the change in taste, the price of the main yarn used to make Banarasi sarees increased. Along with that, the wages of workers increases.
The Benarsi saree artisans of Sherpur Upazila said that through the Government Agricultural Bank, the weavers or Benarsi factory owners were given a loan of 18,000 taka per machine. At present it has been increased to about one lakhs taka. The demand for sarees increases only during Eid of Ramadan in the year. Besides, the rest of the time the machines run slowly. Because of the increase in the price of raw materials for making Banarasi, the income is no longer the same as before. Because of this, many have left the original business and some have kept it.
The owners of Banarsi village said that due to the high cost of raw materials for making Banarsi sarees, the owners do not see much profit from making these sarees by paying the wages of the workers. So with time many have left this profession. To keep this industry alive, the government needs to look after the owners and the artisans.
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