From decline to export: SME Foundation powers Manikganj bamboo crafts boom

Manikganj, a neighbouring district of the capital Dhaka, was once famous as a hub of bamboo and cane product manufacturing, but the artisans in the area lost their heydays when cheap plastic products inundated the market.

However, traditional bamboo craftsmen in the district have been striving in recent years to regain their glory – with the SME Foundation’s support – as people are becoming more conscious about sustainable development and eco-friendly products.

A quiet revolution is unfolding in the bamboo and cane industry based in the heart of the Ghior upazila. Sribari Rishipara village in Baratia union is a hub of exquisite handicraft products. Around 70 families in Baratia, Uttara Sribari, Jhitka, Lechhraganj, Singjuri and adjacent areas of Ghior upazila are making a living by manufacturing bamboo and cane products.

The production process is mainly completed in the backyard of people’s homes. Around 250 workers in these villages have carried on this craftsmanship for generations.

The craftsmen, working around 12 hours a day, make various aesthetic products by hand from bamboo and cane, without the help of any machinery. Their raw materials include bamboo, cane, dyes, fine wire, yarn etc. They use only some basic tools like chopper, bhomor (binding needle), scale, and tape.

Men and women in the village meticulously create an array of products from bamboo and cane, including chairs, different types of trays and baskets, fruit cups, mirror frames, tables, sieves, kula, and mora.
Local entrepreneurs and artisans told the Daily Sun that even if prices of their raw materials have increased, their product prices and wages have not. Rather, their earnings are decreasing.

Some entrepreneurs collect raw materials from the Ghior markets, while some others use their own bamboo. Besides, they collect raw materials from Jhitka, Shibalay, Baratia, Horirumpur, Daulatpur, Pabna, and Rajbari areas.

Debashish Sarkar, a resident of the Sribari Rishipara village, said, “We are
Involved in this work for generations. The SME Foundation has trained us recently. We have also participated in the Foundation's SME Fair.”

Sarkar, who studied civil engineering but remained engaged in his family business, said, “We want to export our products directly to foreign countries, but getting finance for our business is a big problem for us. If we take a loan from a local NGO, we have to pay high interest. If the government cooperates in this matter, it will be beneficial for us to provide funds.”

Amal Chandra Sarkar, a local entrepreneur, said the SME Foundation improved their skills by giving various types of training. As a result, the quality of their products has increased.

The SME foundation also took initiatives to diversify their products, develop designs, improve marketing techniques, provide opportunities to participate in fairs, connect the sellers with buyers, and assist in getting loans. Currently, they are creating 70 different types of products.

Swapan Kumar Sarkar, an artisan, said not getting fair prices for the goods is their main problem. Prices of everything in the market have increased, but their earnings were not increasing. It is hard to survive with their families with a small income.

Echoing him, Archana Rani Sarkar said she has been making bamboo and cane products for 20 years, but she has never received a fair wage.

The producers and craftsmen said middlemen buy the goods at low prices and export those abroad at high prices, depriving them of a fair profit. As a result, their condition has not been improving and many of them have a tendency to change professions. Besides, they do not want their children to take up this profession.

To remedy their problems, the distressed bamboo craftsmen urged the government to arrange low interest loans for them and facilitate direct export of their products.

 SME Foundation revitalise bamboo, cane craftsmen
The traditional bamboo and cane craft in Manikganj was on the verge of extinction due to the lack of capital, decline in bamboo and cane productions, and financial instability, said people involved in this sector.

Sector insiders also said the local entrepreneurs and artisans were not getting the appropriate prices because of the niggardly middlemen.

However, with the cooperation of the SME Foundation, currently the artisans market their products independently. They export their products to foreign countries like Germany, Belgium, Italy, England and Australia.

Dr Md Masudur Rahman, chairperson of SME foundation, expressed his hope that the bamboo cane industry will flourish with the foundation’s support.

He told the Daily Sun, “We have been working in this cluster for the last two years. It was on the verge of extinction when we first started working there, because there was no variety in their products. They created only traditional goods.

“We have provided them training to improve the quality of their products and diversify them. We also linked them with the market for product sales. These products are now going to many European countries. We hope that the bamboo and cane industry in this area will develop and expand.”

The bamboo and cane artisans of the Manikganj villages are not just crafting products; they are shaping a brighter, self-reliant future for themselves and their community, echoing the spirit of traditional craftsmanship into the modern world, he added.