Monipuri weavers feeling the fury of Covid-19

The coronavirus pandemic over the past few months has dealt a severe blow to the people of lower income group, especially the artisans in different trades.

The Monipuri weavers of Sylhet region are no different.

The Monipuris are an indigenous community that carries on a uniquely exquisite art of weaving -- their bread and butter that has been passed down for generations. Monipuri saris, shawls, scarves, three-piece cloth for women and bed sheets are a few of the merchandise that are usually high in demand.

Since most of their sales, including that of women's clothing, their best-seller, peak during the two Eids, the Monipuris invest all their energy and savings in making new merchandise ahead of these two festivities.

All of their investment was wiped out last Eid when social distancing rules were being enforced to rein in the virus. Later, the Monipuris had their hopes up once again as the restrictions were eventually withdrawn or relaxed nearly a month before the Eid-ul-Azha -- the second of the largest two festivities celebrated by Muslims.

Unfortunately, with the Eid day just around the corner, the weavers did not see their sales pick up to the extent that would enable them to stand back on their feet and look forward to a better future.

In Sylhet city there are more than 100 large wholesale stores that carry Monipuri woven items. With the largest wholesale market being located in Bandarbazar area, many of the wholesale stores are in Lamabazar, Zindabazar, Tilaghar, Chowhatta and Ambarkhana areas of the city. 

Many Monipuris also sell their merchandise directly from their houses in Lamabazar and Mashimpur in Sylhet city and Kamalganj and Sreemangal upazilas in Moulvibazar. 

While visiting Monipuri clothing markets in Adampur and Madhabpur areas of Kamalganj and Radhanagar of Sreemangal recently, this correspondent found half of the stores shuttered.

During normal times, these markets are usually swarming with shoppers, with hardly any personal space between one another. But this time, there were only a few people around and not much noticeable business transactions were going on at the handful of the stores that were open for business.

Monipuri clothing trader Mithun Singha, from Sreemangal's Radhanagar area, said, "I had a wholesale clothing store in Sreemangal town. I haven't been able to sell any of the clothes in the past few months. But the store rent, electricity bills and other expenses kept piling up. So I had to let go of the store this month. Burdened by the debts over my shoulder, I can't sleep at night now."

Weaver Shilpi Devi, a resident of Adampur in Kamalganj upazila, said the items Monipuri weavers make usually sell for good prices at local markets and they usually keep busy making those round the clock.

"Monipuri saris are more popular with young women including the newly-weds. But lately, sales have been poor due to the coronavirus," she also said.

"Wholesale buyers are not turning up amid the fear of Covid-19. So I'm selling the items at lower prices to any customer I can find," said Ranjita Debi, another weaver in Lamabazar area of Sylhet city.

"Over a thousand Monipuri saris used to sell all throughout the year and quite a good number used to be exported to the UK. But with sales falling almost to none, we are now living on empty pockets."

While speaking with this correspondent, many of the weavers including Anjali Sinha, from Adampur in Kamalganj, said after Covid-19 restrictions were relaxed, they took loans to make new products, targeting the Eid shoppers. But they now fear losing all the investment as sales did not pick up as much as they had hoped for. 

Contacted, Barkat Ullah, liaison officer of Bangladesh Handloom Board (BHB) in Kamalganj, said, considering the present scenario, BHB has reduced interest rate on their loan, packaged for Monipuri weavers, to 5 per cent from the previous rate of 10 per cent.

The loan repayment period has also been extended and loan conditions relaxed, with maximum loan amount set to as high as Tk 2 lakh for the Monipuri weavers, he added.