The Handloom Workshop of Panchagarh, Bangladesh
The handloom factory in Panchagarh is located in the northern part of Bangladesh. This is one of the poorest regions of the country. Mohammad Ali Khan, the founder of Handtouch, started to support the weavers of Panchagarh. The weavers came from an area that is traditionally well-known for its weaving techniques. They had to leave their homes to flee from the floods. Mohammad built a small factory to offer the weavers a workplace. Today, the workshop contains 34 handlooms (or Tant looms) and provides work for 150 artisans of which 50% are women. They weave the recycled & waste cotton khadi table linen by hand.
Often they have to live in the slums of the big cities. Creating job opportunities in the rural areas, close to home, is of utmost importance. Especially for women it is important to create jobs close to home. This way the rural women can provide an additional income without having to leave their families. The craftswomen are allowed to work in the modest workshop or from their homes on their own time schedule. The workshop generates work year round.
Key facts
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originalhome Covid-19 relief fund
Mohammad’s continued search for new waste materials to work with and the fact that he supports a handloom workshop in a remote area (a 14 hour drive from Dhaka capital city). Nice Dutch touch: all weavers cycle to the factory.
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