Calling upon the people of the region to save the traditional silk industry of Rajshahi reviving its past glory, Rajshahi city Awami League Senior Vice President Shahin Akhter Reni said traditional Silk Industry of Rajshahi is a symbol of our self-esteem. She said once upon a time, silk industries in Rajshahi as an essential cottage industry where thousands of people of the region were employed.
She came up with the observation while addressing the inaugural function of Rajshahi Silk Fashions Limited, a shop of quality silk sarees and garments, as the chief guest in the divisional city on Wednesday.
She said, “Silk cultivation was once practiced by almost in every rural home of the district. It was a very intricate and complex job where more than 90 percent workforce were females. Those female silk farmers used to transplant and grow mulberry trees, feed silkworms on bamboo-made circular basket called 'chandrika' with the leaves of mulberry.
Consuming the leaves voraciously, she continued, “The silkworm then transformed to silk-cocoons, silk yarn was reeled from those cocoons and after dying the yarn, silk fabrics were made and painted in various designs. The silk fabric of Rajshahi got a reputation in the country and abroad. This unique and prestigious industry should be saved at all costs and its lost glory should be revived, emphasised Reni with a call to assist the silk farmers to grow local silk industries.”
Rajshahi Silk Fashion started its production with 15 looms.
Presided over by Abdul Kader Mollah, General Secretary of Bangladesh Silk Industry Owners' Association, the function was attended, among others, by Liakat Ali, President of BSIOA, Nilufa Yeasmin, Vice-President, Abdul Jalil, Information and Research Secretary and Shah Shariful lslam Babu, Proprietor of Bismillah Silk Dying and Printing Factory.
