Asadul Habib and Shiuli Begum, a couple in Aditmari upazila, Lalmonirhat, have set up a small garment workshop at their home in the Talukdulali Paglar Chowra area of Velabari union. From morning until afternoon, various stages of garment-making take place there — some cutting fabric, some dyeing, others drawing designs on cloth. Some local women come to the workshop to work, while others do boutique and sequin work from home and submit it to the workshop. The finished garments are supplied to markets in various cities.
Asadul Habib and Shiuli Begum, who run the small workshop, said they had moved to Dhaka in search of work four to five years ago. They earned a living there doing garment work, but couldn’t stay away from home for long and returned to their village, where they took up this new venture.
Alongside creating self-employment for themselves, the couple took on the bigger challenge of creating work opportunities for unemployed women in the area. Starting with a small amount of capital, the venture is gradually growing. They plan to increase production further and bring in more unemployed local women in the future.
Asadul and Shiuli said they began working together as a couple, and the business has gradually grown to the point where more than a hundred women now work at their workshop. The workshop produces various women’s garments, including tops, orna scarves and three-piece sets, which are supplied to orders from markets in various cities.
Anisa Khatun, a woman working at the workshop, said she used to have to work out in the sun and rain, sometimes finding work and sometimes not. Now, working at this workshop in her own area, her household runs much better.
Woman worker Riya Akter said she used to just sit at home. Now she does boutique work and attaches sequins on fabric from the workshop, work she can do without even coming in — she does it at home and drops off the finished cloth. She said she has found a good way to earn from home while staying in her own area.
Velabari union parishad member Abdul Karim said it was a source of great joy that such a small garment workshop had started in their neglected area. Many unemployed women, he said, would now be able to contribute financially to their families through this work. He said they want the government to take notice of such small workshops and take the necessary steps to help them operate on a larger scale.
Aditmari upazila executive officer (UNO) Gunjan Biswas said setting up such small garment workshops in remote rural areas to create employment for unemployed women was a very good initiative. She said entrepreneurs running such workshops who reach out would receive whatever support the administration can offer.