Mirpur weavers to move to new site

Desk Report: Thousands of weavers based in Mirpur Benarasi Palli will shift to a new site, some 70 kilometres off the densest Dhaka city, reports The Financial Express.
The move is a part of reviving the glory of the handloom industry and also freeing up space in the metropolis.
As planned, the weavers would find a new home at a new hub based in greater Faridpur region.
Officials said the new hub for the weavers outside the city would breathe new life into the sector.
To this end, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council is set to approve a Tk 2.58-billion project this week.
A total of 120 acres of land will be acquired across Madaripur and Shariatpur districts to establish a new ‘Tant Palli’ on the bank of the Padma.
Bangladesh Handloom Board under textiles and jute ministry will implement the scheme.
Once completed, available documents estimate, handloom garment production in the country will grow by above 6 per cent and create jobs for almost 25,000 people.
“The project is aimed at rehabilitating the weavers based in Mirpur and other parts of greater Dhaka,” said Bangladesh Handloom Board chairman M Rafiqul Islam.
“The move would generate employment for weavers alongside boosting the overall production capacity of the handloom industry in the country,” he added.