Home ›› 19 Sep 2022 ›› Editorial
Sumona Rahman went to the wedding in a black and white combination saree. This saree grabbed everyone’s attention, and Sumona was praised for her taste. She said, “That saree was made of Rajshahi silk and looks beautiful as well as comfortable. Women of any age can use it. It can be used any way you like. But not everyone knows how to maintain this saree and the Rajshahi silk cloth. It should be dry-washed. Otherwise, there is a chance of it getting spoiled.”
Related observers said that Sumona was right. Rajshahi silk is loved by all, men and women alike. Men and women of any age can use it. This smooth fabric is as fashionable as it is a symbol of nobility. Agriculture and sericulture are closely related to the production of this ancient and glorious fabric. It is not possible to make this cloth without sericulture. The quality of sari or cloth production depends on the quality of sericulture. Different types of silk fabrics are made through sericulture. Rajshahi silk is now popular worldwide. Rajshahi Silk was recognized as a GI (Geographical Indications) product on April 26, 2020, for its quality and unique characteristics.
According to history, China is called the birthplace of silk. According to Banglapedia, in 3500 BC in China, the silkworm cocoon and the method of making yarn from that cocoon were invented. The art of sericulture was initially kept secret by the Chinese but eventually spread throughout the world. With the help of silkworms, fine yarn of superior quality has been obtained for the last five thousand years. Kautilya’s Arthasastra, written at the end of the fourth century BC, also has a comprehensive description of the fine clothing of Bengal. There is a mention of a type of cloth called Patorna, which is a type of wild silk. Since 2000, silk has been regarded as a trade textile.
Mulberry, Andi, Muga, and Tasar were the four types of silk produced in the Indian subcontinent, especially in Bengal, long ago. Among these, Mulberry silk is considered the most valuable. But to make silk fabric, silk yarn has to be made. Silkworms are reared to produce yarn, and the entire process is called sericulture. There are three stages of sericulture—the cultivation of mulberry trees, rearing of silkworms, and separation of cocoon yarn for cloth making. The first and second stage work is entirely agricultural, and the third stage work is mainly industrial, known as philachar in cottage industries.
Silk production is a complex process. Silkworms are silk moth caterpillars. The only food source for this insect is the leaves of the mulberry tree. A silkworm is called a cocoon. A cocoon looks a lot like a pigeon’s egg. It takes three days to form a cocoon. Within eight days, the larvae inside the pod or cocoon become pupae or polu. Before pupation, the cocoon is collected and boiled in hot water to kill the insect inside, and silk thread is collected from this cocoon. However, it should be remembered that if the full-fledged pupa turns into a moth and comes out through the end of the cocoon, the continuity of the thread is broken and the quality of the silk thread is reduced. A reel is made by combining the inner yarns of 2–6 bales. The outer discarded threads are twisted to produce spun silk, which is used to make Matka silk.
During the Mughal period, silk cultivation spread in the Maldah, Murshidabad, and Rajshahi districts of India and Bangladesh. This silk is mentioned in many writings of the British period. Since 1947, there have been two silk factories in Bagura and Rajshahi. The weavers then cultivated silk through handlooms and sold the silk cloth in the local market and in Pakistan. This was the case till 1959-60. At that time, it became the Rajshahi Silk Factory under Small and Cottage Industries Corporation of Industries Ministry. Then, in 1977, when the Silk Board came to power, the factory was handed over to the Board. The factory is equipped with 100 reeling machines, 23 power looms and 10 hand looms. 100 more reeling machines and 20 more power looms were installed under the BMRE project in 1974–80.
In 1980, the institution was declared a commercial institution. Further investments were made in it from 1995-1999. At that time, sericulture and silk production continued to do well, and at one point, the factory started making losses. For some other reasons, it was declared closed in 2002, and 272 people were laid off through the golden handshake. Meanwhile, RDRS, a private organization based in North Bengal, set up a silk factory in Thakurgaon in 1976 for the socio-economic development of the post-war people. In 1981, it was handed over to the Silk Board. This factory was also making losses for a long time, and in 2002, 86 people were declared closed with a golden handshake.
After two factories were closed in 2002, they reopened in 2018. The Bangladesh Silk Development Board was formed in 2013 by merging the Bangladesh Silk Research and Training Institute and Bangladesh Silk Foundation. The issues of silk production have been managed through this board. At present, 6.5 million people are working in this sector, both at the government and private levels. 80 per cent of them are rural women. Rajshahi BSCIC has several private mills. Despite having so many institutions, there are several problems in sericulture and silk production.
Many experts are blaming the lack of necessary cooperation and proper planning by the government for this. They say there is also a problem with the policy-making label. Lack of proper supervision or raw materials is also responsible for this. Farmers complain that they do not get the necessary support or credit for sericulture and do not get fair prices. They say the eggs distributed are not of sufficient quality. Businessmen say production is low and prices are high. Many people associated with this industry say that the government has allowed businessmen to bring yarn from neighbouring countries and China at a low price, which has seriously hindered the production of silk.
Sericulture in the country has great benefits and potential. Sericulture typically employs 10-12 people on one hectare of land.4-5 times the yield can be obtained in sericulture. Mulberry can be cultivated in uncultivated areas, roadsides, embankments, the land around houses, land lanes, and any fallow land. Mulberry trees live for 30–35 years. Once this tree is planted, it is possible to earn money from it for 30–35 years. The roots of the mulberry tree go deep underground, and the tree survives and yields even if there is no drought or rain. More profit can be made with less capital in this sector. 3–4 thousand will make silk yarn, 8–10 thousand to make yarn, and 15-20 thousand to make cloth. The technical aspects are easily understood in this industry. That is why educated and uneducated men and women can easily work in this industry. It is very useful for poor and marginal farmers. Fuel can be made from the stems of the tree; dyes from the roots; jam-jelly from the fruit; and paper from the bark.
According to the Silk Development Board, the government has produced 54 lakh mulberry seedlings and distributed them among the farmers in the last financial year, produced disease-free eggs for farmers and distributed 52 lakhs1700 metric tons of silkworms have been produced. Government and private yarn production have been 41 metric tons. Officially, silk fabric production has been 9,383 meters.
Silk production is very technical work. Disease-free eggs, cocoons, mulberry trees, yarn production, etc. should be shown to the farmers by modelling. They should be given proper training in this regard. Their work should be well monitored. For sericulture, houses are needed for cocooning without mulberry trees. There are bamboo sticks, nets, and various kinds of tools. These are difficult for poor farmers to procure. So they can be given for free. There is a good market for silk in Bangladesh. The Bangladesh Silk Industry Owners Association says that the demand for yarn in the country is 400-450 metric tons, and yarn production is 40 metric tons. The quality of which is not good. As a result, it has to be imported. Many of BSCIC 76 factories have closed due to a shortage of yarn.
The Silk Development Board says that many people are interested in working in this sector after getting GI. At present, the government is cultivating sericulture in 33 districts of the country for poverty alleviation, and for this purpose, three government projects are in progress. If the projects are implemented, yarn production will be possible according to the country’s demand. At present, there are 19 looms in government factories. Government showrooms have clothes made of 100 per cent pure silk yarn. Besides, they are also in online shopping. The Silk Board has two showrooms, one in Dhaka and the other in Rajshahi. Sericulture can be done in hilly areas. If it is cultivated more widely, poverty can be eradicated. For silk farming, a cultivator can work in his spare time. Regular training is provided free of charge by the government. This is not just a saree; it is a kind of cloth from which anything can be made. Research and training can be done to make Rajshahi silk more beautiful, comfortable, and usable. Extensive initiatives can be taken to market it in the international arena. Rajshahi silk can gain fame in the same way that muslin has gained worldwide fame.
The writer is a freelance columnist. She can be contacted at [email protected]
