Md. Sharif Hossain, a small-scale garment manufacturer, established a sizable factory in Pabna’s Sadar Upazila a few years ago, aiming to produce apparel from garment scraps locally referred to as “jhoot” for export to the Indian market.
For three decades, the manufacturing of clothing from garment waste, or jhoot, had offered significant opportunities to small businesses in Pabna. As export opportunities expanded, these businesses evolved into large-scale operations.
Sharif’s business had been thriving for a decade, but he abruptly shuttered his factory last month due to a lack of buyers. He lamented the situation, saying, “I used to produce 15,000-16,000 dozen clothes each week, with over 100 workers operating 75 sewing machines in my factory. All my products were supplied to the Indian market. Recently, Indian buyers are hardly coming due to a lack of marketing, and I was forced to close my factory.”
Previously, he used to dispatch three trucks loaded with approximately 40,000 to 50,000 dozen clothes to the Indian market every week. Now, he struggles to sell even one truckload in a month.
Other manufacturers in the same line of work have encountered similar challenges stemming from a dearth of buyers. Md. Nasim, another trader from Afuria village, revealed, “We used to manufacture 200 dozen clothes a week, all of which were supplied to big traders and exporters for distribution in India. However, they are now hesitant to accept clothes due to their extensive existing stockpiles.”
According to the Pabna Hosiery Manufacturing Group, garment products made from jhoot used to contribute to annual exports worth around Tak 300-400 crore. However, current exports have dwindled to approximately Taka 100 crore.
This decline is attributed to the rapid and unregulated expansion of the export business.
Monir Hossain Popy, President of the Pabna Hosiery Manufacturing Group, noted, “When traders gained access to export facilities, many hastily ventured into manufacturing without proper business plans. Most of these traders set up a few machines and began supplying clothes to merchants with export-import licenses.”
Initially, hosiery manufacturers primarily catered to the local market, but now their t-shirts and various garments are exported to India, Malaysia, and other neighbouring Asian countries.
