Home ›› 21 May 2022 ›› Editorial
As per traditional definition anything crafted with the hands may be termed as handicraft but along the passage of time production procedure of handicrafts has also been changed. At present light tools and power machineries are also being used which reduce physical suffering of producers, accelerate production and save time. Handicrafts contain social, cultural, literary (mostly folklore), historical or religious values, are mainly decorative but necessary also. The handicrafts of Bangladesh include mainly pottery, woodwork, jute products, bamboo products, earthenware, carpets, terracotta, copper and brass jewellery, flower tubs, floor mats, table mats, baskets, traditional dolls, pink pearls, cotton and silk products, etc.
Banglapedia says that Bangladesh’s handicrafts and cottage industries were at their peak in the early and middle ages. Weaving, metalwork, jewellery, especially ornaments made of silver, woodwork, cane and bamboo work, soil, and earthenware were famous as handicrafts. The Bengali tradition of muslin reached the Greek and Roman Empires. Chinese and Arab traders were aware of the high quality of cotton and silk fabrics produced in this country. The Mughal emperors valued handicrafts.
Bangladesh has been exporting handicrafts abroad since the 1980s. Its demand in the global market is increasing at a steady rate. According to Export Promotion Bureau sources, handicrafts in the international market earned 19.95 million dollars in the fiscal year 2018–19 and 20.52 million dollars in the fiscal year 2019–20. In the last five years, the demand for handicrafts in the international market has increased by two to four million dollars every year. Bangladesh exports handicrafts to 60–70 European countries, Asia, South America, and Latin America. Bangladesh organises fairs in Germany, Hong Kong, America, Italy, and France every year. About 50 per cent of the handicraft orders come from these fairs.
We have a millennial tradition in craft making. By emphasising the tradition, it is possible to make various handicrafts. The artisans here can make excellent products with the raw materials we have, such as bamboo, cane, soil, copper-brass, terracotta, pearls, jute, leather, cotton, and silk cloth. BD Creation, Classical Handmade Products BD, Sun Trade, Creative BD, Artisan BD, Ashok Handicrafts, Dhaka Handicrafts, and Desh Handicrafts export and fair handicrafts extensively. They say that our global market competitors are Vietnam, Cambodia, China, India, and recently, Africa. We can survive in this competitive market with dignity if we can provide quality and timely delivery of our products.
Bangladesh has a rural environment. Unemployment is still a major problem here. Handicrafts can play a big role in solving the unemployment problem. It is often heard that unemployed youth start handicraft businesses after not getting any jobs. Rural people have the time and environment to do handicrafts besides their regular chores. This is excellent work for women. According to information from Bangla Craft, four lakh women are working in this sector in this country. Most of these women work from home. People from 20 villages in Sherpur, Bagura, have reduced their poverty by working in handicrafts and earning from domestic and foreign sources, as reported in the media. The majority of the villagers involved in the handicraft sector are female. They claim that with this income, they can educate their children, improve their quality of life, cover the cost of treatment, and so on. It can be said that it empowers women. Women’s work is likewise valued and seen positively by buyers.
Many hill tribes make their living by selling handicrafts. It is not just their livelihood; through handicrafts, they nurture and develop their culture. They use unique, handcrafted goods to highlight their origin and introduce us to their culture and way of life. Handcrafts are a great source of income, especially for the poor and marginalised people.
Many handicrafts claim specialty. They are made with the cultural characteristics or heritage of a particular area of society. In many cases, it is seen that the work of some craftsmen is stunning. Because of their production strategy, a handicraft claims more adoration. Many continue the tradition through generations in a family due to the dextrous craftsmanship of these items.
Handicrafts uphold a community’s heritage and represent one’s own country in the world. Thus, it can be seen that Indian, Vietnamese, Turkish, and Chinese handicraft entrepreneurs take great care in selecting their ingredients and designs. So their aesthetic value is often ensured. Some handicrafts are considered forms of folk art.
Day by day, its demand in local markets is increasing as well. There’s a bright possibility for it in Bangladesh. Many educated young people are coming to this sector. Still, it has a lot of problems. Raw materials aren’t often difficult to find. So they have to be stored. To store handicraft items, a lot of capital is required. Those who produce them need to be trained. There’s often a hassle in getting a licence and other paperwork for this business. A lot of the people who work here are less educated. Some other obstacles are being faced by potential entrepreneurs. These hindrances need to be smoothened.
The sector insiders say that the small entrepreneurs often don’t get the incentive, and they also don’t get bank loans on easy terms. Only 4 to 5 companies that meet the terms and conditions of the government receive the incentive and bank loans. There are other problems in this case as well. For example, there is a lack of infrastructure, storage and transportation facilities, design development, and product variety. The development of handicrafts isn’t possible without the help of the government. Like in the garments sector, handicrafts can go a long way if they get the government’s support. It can even boom as a business and add substantial foreign exchange to the national exchequer. Therefore, the government should be more proactive regarding providing incentives and loans to small entrepreneurs. Then, entrepreneurs can make more investments or continue with their businesses.
There are complaints about Bangladesh being very poor at storage and transportation services in case of export. The government needs to pay attention to these matters and solve these problems. In the case of designs, the customers’ taste (like the color and type of product), their demands, lifestyle, requirements, environment and weather, and the purpose of using the products needs to be understood while making them. In this way, customers can be retained. For example, let’s consider baskets woven from jute, cane, etc. In overseas countries, around 40 types of baskets are used- for keeping wine, bedside requirements, bread, buying groceries, etc. They don’t only use them out of their hobby; they make their homes more elegant by having these. Since they’re pretty fancy stuff, customers will be attracted if there’s structural variety in them instead of producing the same product over and over again.
Handicrafts are eco-friendly. Europeans like to use these products because they are eco-friendly. These kinds of reusable, recyclable products have good value in Europe. They do not like bleaching or colouring of any products. They want natural products. So, entrepreneurs should be careful about these things. Some raw materials for handicrafts need to be imported from India. There are a lot of complications here. Bangladesh exports jute abroad. Entrepreneurs are saying this raw material is required in handicrafts.
There’s demand for the traditional Katha of Bangladesh abroad. This Bangal Katha is often known as an Indian product in foreign countries. This is not right. This occurs even in the case of some sarees. Entrepreneurs should be careful about this.
The handicrafts industry does not require big capital-intensive machinery or massive infusions of funds. Skilled human resources and some craft tools are the key components for this sector. All raw materials required for handicrafts are available inside the country. Craftsmen don’t need to import a single component from abroad. What is needed now is due patronage from the government. There are not enough research labs to produce unique and innovative designs nor are there any research institution to analyse the local and global markets and their needs and demands. Those need to be addressed without further loss of time for further flourishing the sector.
To import handicrafts, one needs to abide by some rules and regulations. One of them is a European regulation called REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals). To export any products abroad, it has to be checked in a REACH nominated lab in Bangladesh for anything harmful substances that it may contain. Other than that, there’s another certification system called the Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI). BSCI monitors the standard of the work environment of handicrafts production in Bangladesh.
Since it is a developing sector, the government should give it due importance. Taking some especial initiatives and adopting innovative ideas hadicrafts can be presented much more attractively. In this way, along with earning foreign currency, it is possible to introduce our country to the international arena positively.
The writer is a freelance columnist. She can be contacted at shanu.mostafiz@gmail.com
