Narayanganj hosiery industry in dire straits

Narayanganj hosiery industry has already faced losses of around Tk 2,000 crore so far due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

Narayanganj is the hosiery manufacturing hub of the country that supplies 90 per cent of hosiery products, including a range of garment items, such as innerwear, legwear and socks, all over the country and abroad, said Bangladesh Hosiery Association President Nazmul Alam Sajal.

Satish Chandra Pal founded the first hosiery factory at Tanbazar in the district in 1921. Since then, this industry has become the leading centre for hosiery items, creating employment opportunities for thousands.

Now, over 8,000 factories of all sizes operating in Nayamati, Deobhog, Tanbazar and Ukilpara areas of the district depend on garment waste to make their products, bringing much-needed opportunities for small entrepreneurs.

According to the Bangladesh Hosiery Association, there are more than 8,000 factories in the city; of which there are 2,000 factories are registered under them.

More than 3,00,000 people are working in these factories producing a yearly turnover of Tk 1,200 crore to Tk 1,500 crore.

Not only that, a huge market has sprung up in the city’s Tanbazar, along with at least 4,000 yarn shops. The dyeing business is also involved with this.

After the fabric is made, producers send them to the dyeing factory for cleaning and dyeing. Then the materials come back, and the producers make their desired products with them, they said.

However, in the last 1.5 years, these factories have been shut down for the pandemic and incurred loss of nearly Tk 2,000 crore.

Adding to that, the workers put their lives at stake as they have to work in congested spaces, where ensuring social distance becomes difficult.

Not only that, most of these factories are established between narrow alleys and congested buildings in Narayanganj, where fire incidents have become a common phenomenon, said Fire Service and Civil Defense Deputy Assistant Director Abdullah Al Arefin.

“This area is under huge risk. In case of any fire incidents, we would not be able to enter the area with our trucks as the streets are narrow and congested. Adding to that, these factories do not follow any precaution or protocols to avoid the severity of fire incidents,” said the fire service official.

Rubel Miah, Badal Ghosh, a hosiery products manufacturer, told The Business Post that they used to produce over 90 per cent of the total amount of hosiery products, but now the situation has been changed.

“Thousands of factories have emerged in other districts which are making low-quality products and grabbing our customers with lower prices,” said Rubel Miah.

“Adding to that, the government’s indifference towards promoting the industry is ruining the export possibility and profitability of our products. If they had allotted us with incentives, loans and cash assistance, we would have been able to balance the losses we faced in the pandemic,” said Pritam Ghosh, another businessman of the area.

Jalil Miah used to sell spare parts of the equipment used to produce hosiery items and made Tk 1,000 profit each day.

“I cannot even sell products worth Tk 200 a day now. I am thinking of leaving this profession and becoming a day labourer,” he said.

Meanwhile, FBCCI Senior Vice President Mostofa Azad Chowdhury Babu told The Business Post, “If they send us a letter or sit for a discussion in this regard, then we will be able to assist them. We are ready to help them.”