Real experiences, published anonymously and with permission.
Shoe factory owners in Bhairab, Kishoreganj, in a Protidiner Bangladesh report
Light manufacturing & workshopKishoreganj
A shortage of imported chemicals shut 10-12 shoe factories in Bhairab. Handmade output fell from 20-24 pairs a day to 10-12, and orders halved.
An attar distiller in Sujanagar, Maulvibazar, in a Prothom Alo report
Light manufacturing & workshopMoulvibazar
This attar still in Sujanagar makes about 12 tola of attar a month at 6,000 taka a tola, against a gas bill alone of 30,000 taka. Tea factories pay 11.93 taka per cubic foot; this trade pays 30.
A home candle maker in Dighinala, Khagrachhari, in a Prothom Alo report
Light manufacturing & workshopKhagrachhari
A home candle unit in Dighinala turns out 1,000 candles a batch on 250 taka of material and sells them for 600. It carries the household, but nine years on there is still one machine.
A potter at Taleshwar Kumarpara, Bagerhat, in a Channel i Online report
Light manufacturing & workshopBagerhat
More than 200 families once worked clay at Taleshwar Kumarpara in Bagerhat; about 15 remain. One potter spends 15,000-16,000 taka a month on the work and is left with roughly 8,000.
A shitalpati weaver in Rajnagar, Maulvibazar, in a Business Standard Bangla report
Light manufacturing & workshopMoulvibazar
A weaver of forty years saw monthly sales fall from about 1 lakh taka to under 30,000-40,000, and his artisans from 30 to five. A shitalpati artisan never made more than 200-300 taka a day, so many left the trade.
Bamboo artisans in Debhata, Satkhira, in a Prothom Alo report
Light manufacturing & workshopSatkhira
About 50 artisans still work bamboo in Kora Pakratel village, Debhata. A basket costs 70-80 taka in materials and sells for 150, two a day; another artisan buys a woven tabra at 180 taka and sells it at 200.
A jute-goods manufacturer in Kamalganj, Maulvibazar, in a Daily Star report
Light manufacturing & workshopMoulvibazar
Before March 2020 the factory made jute toys for export and employed 50 people. After the pandemic the workforce fell to 15 and the product changed to bags for the domestic market; no lender would advance credit because her bank account showed too little turnover.
Batik workshop owners in Kamalpur village, Cumilla, in a Samakal report
Light manufacturing & workshopCumilla
Kamalpur village turns over 40-45 crore taka a year across 15-20 batik workshops. One owner makes 60-70 taka a piece, but the cost of cloth and chemicals and a shortage of artisans are pushing others out of the trade.
A jackfruit-biscuit maker in Sreepur, Gazipur, in a Prothom Alo report
Food processingGazipur
Two months into trial production the biscuits sell 20-25 kg a day at 850 taka for a one-kg box, but buyers call them too sweet, too fragile and too expensive, and BSTI says jackfruit biscuit is not on its biscuit standards list at all.
A honey producer in Ullapara, Sirajganj, in a Prothom Alo report
Food processingSirajganj
In a normal week 150 boxes give 10 maunds - about 800 kg - of honey worth 130,000 taka. Fog and a minimum of 9 degrees kept the bees inside, knocking about 2,000 taka off boxes normally worth 10,000 each.
A sugarcane grower and gur maker in Maulvibazar, in a Prothom Alo report
Food processingMoulvibazar
Three kiyar of cane cost about 55,000 taka this season against 100,000 taka already sold and another 150,000 expected. Juice sells at 60 taka a litre, gur at 250 and lali at 220 - the problem is not price but finding anyone to cut the cane.
A sweet shop owner in Koyra, Khulna, in a Prothom Alo report
Food processingKhulna
Cyclone Amphan on 20 May 2020 wrecked the shop and the house, and the Kopotakkho river later took the homestead. A 60,000-taka loan last year rebuilt a small sweet shop, against a 3,000-taka monthly instalment.
