TANGAIL: Bangladesh&#39;s Tangail sari is fighting for survival as weavers warn that automation and economic pressures are pushing the centuries-old craft to the brink despite its global acclaim.&nbsp;The detailed designs and fine textures of the garments made in the central Tangail city won UNESCO recognition in December as intangible cultural heritage reflecting &quot;local social and cultural practices&quot;.&nbsp;But it has brought little relief to crowded local workshops where a shift to automated looms, evolving fashion choices, unstable yarn prices and a lack of government support have squeezed weavers at every turn.&nbsp;Ajit Kumar Roy, who spends the day interlacing warp and weft threads while paddling the shuttle back and forth, says the honor has done little to ease his daily hardship.&nbsp;&quot;It&#39;s all hard work,&quot; the 35-year-old weaver told AFP as he worked the handloom he has operated for nearly two decades.&nbsp;&quot;Hands, legs and eyes must move together. If I make a mistake then there is a problem.&quot;&nbsp;Men typically lead the weaving, dyeing and design work, while women prepare threads, apply rice starch and add finishing touches.&nbsp;High-profile clientsOnce considered a well-paying profession, weaving has suffered from a market slump that began during the Covid-19 pandemic and never recovered.&nbsp;Roy said his factory owner used to run 20 handlooms but now has only 10.&nbsp;&quot;Some factories have shut down entirely,&quot; Roy said.&nbsp;With demand falling and costs rising, many weavers have abandoned the craft, turning to driving or construction work to survive.&nbsp;&quot;We earn 700 taka ($6) per sari, and it takes at least two days to make one. How can a family of four live on 350 taka a day?&quot;&nbsp;Raghunath Basak, president of a local sari traders&#39; association, whose family has preserved Tangail weaving for generations, fears the craft may end with him.&nbsp;His ancestors migrated in search of weather and water suitable for weaving before settling in Tangail, nestled in a low-lying floodplain near the Jamuna River.&nbsp;&quot;I brought my son into the profession too, but I don&#39;t know how he will cope after I am gone,&quot; Basak, 75, said from his showroom, where shiny crests line the walls.&nbsp;Despite high-profile clients -- from political leaders in India&#39;s West Bengal state to ousted Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who wore his sari to deliver a speech to the UN General Assembly -- Basak says the industry is struggling.&nbsp;Cultural symbolA halt to land-port trade with neighboring India following a diplomatic fallout has also affected business.&nbsp;&quot;We used to export saris by road and import yarn when local prices shot up. Now land ports on both sides are sealed. Export has become almost impossible,&quot; he said.&nbsp;In the 1960s, the sari emerged as a cultural symbol as Bengalis in what was then East Pakistan embraced their ethnic identity.&nbsp;But consumer preference is slowly shifting.&nbsp;Kaniz Neera, 45, buys two dozen Tangail saris a year, favoring their distinctive patterns and comfortable design, but worries that the younger generation is drifting away.&nbsp;&quot;Sari is integral to our identity,&quot; she said. &quot;My mother wears sari at home and outside. I wear it mostly outside. (But) girls now wear sari only on special occasions.&quot;&nbsp;But researchers remain cautiously optimistic.&nbsp;Shawon Akand, author of a book on the subject, notes that the Tangail sari is a relatively recent evolution by the descendants of Dhakai muslin weavers whose creations once captivated Mughal rulers and European aristocracy.&nbsp;&quot;The Tangail weavers inherited fine yarn techniques from their ancestors and adapted with unique designs in Tangail sari,&quot; Akand told AFP.&nbsp;&quot;Tangail sari will evolve. It will endure.&quot;

Bangladesh

Bangladesh’s Tangail sari craft faces decline as automation, low wages, falling demand and trade disruptions push weavers to abandon the centuries-old tradition, despite UNESCO recognition and its status as an important cultural symbol.

Articles tagged with "Tangail sari"

Bangladesh sari weaving tradition hangs by a thread

Bangladesh sari weaving tradition hangs by a thread