Jute sector is in trauma, but hopeful to recover: Esrat Jahan Chowdhury

Nasreen Geeti

There are a lot of politics in Bangladesh about jute. Many syndicates are being formed. As a result, it is a bit difficult to actually work here. Director of Bangladesh Jute Goods Exporters Association Esrat Jahan Chowdhury said these things in an interview given to The Daily Tribunal. However, she is optimistic about the golden past and future of jute and jute products.

Her exclusive interview is below here,

The Daily Tribunal: ‘Women Businessmen’ – Many people use the word ‘women’ before businessmen. Why not only businessmen? How do you see this matter?

Esrat Jahan Chowdhury: I don’t like it at all. Because where I have been, I have seen, (Actually, no matter what we say, our society is patriarchal) they don’t really want to believe that w can do it. They think we live in a mess. For example, girls will do parlor or boutique business. It does not occur to men that they can do any business outside of this. That’s why the word ‘woman’ is used.

The Daily Tribunal: You are running with jute and jute products abroad beyond the borders of the country. How did it start?

Esrat Jahan Chowdhury: why start, let me say that first. I was a banker. But from my college life, I had a dream to become a businessman. But how to start a business, how to succeed – I could not reconcile these things. Later go to work. And you know, there is a lot of confidence to take the challenge. Once upon a time, my daughter was born. Then there was such a situation that I had to care her all the time. I had to quit my job at the bank when my baby was eleven months old.
As i had no choice but quit the job. After about four years, I thought, I would go back to work now.

The Daily Tribunal: Not only in Bangladesh, but in the Indian subcontinent, it seems that women do any work, at the end of the day they have to manage the family as well?

Esrat Jahan Chowdhury: It is absolutely right. The reason being, really we have to prove that we can. I think so, actually lump at the beginning.

Without making the distinction between boys and girls, if a family is taught from childhood that a boy or a girl is not different. Because when a boy or girl studies, they are moving forward with a dream. That girl also has to study hard, sometimes more than that boy. And now girls study but not only for marriage but to do something. Only 20 percent of women study maybe for marriage.

But what is happening? In reality no one tells a boy, you quit your job, take care of the baby. But everyone is saying to the girl; having to leave job for children or family.

The Daily Tribunal: Businesses, families – how do you manage everything by yourself?

Esrat Jahan Chowdhury: When I returned to work after a break of four years, I joined to a job. Then I saw that as much as I pay attention, I give labor with skill; if I put this effort into my work, maybe I will get more. Then I was decided that I will not work anymore. I will do the business.

Another thing is that when our backs are against the wall, that’s where the strength comes from. That is why it is said. In fact, I love being at work. Because I have seen from my childhood that everyone in the family, including mother, does some kind of work. So I have no chance to do nothing.

My business is my second child. I cherish the business in the same way as i look at home and children.

The Daily Tribunal: How many workers work in your factory? And how much time do they have to spend and how much time or labor do you have to spend in your factory?

Esrat Jahan Chowdhury: After the Corona period, I have made a little change in the working technique of the factory. Now I am doing more contractual work. We work on jute. At least 50 types of items are deal with. Some work is done outside from Dhaka. Go straight to them. We bring various products from women who work from home. Many of those who make our traditional jute products are disappearing under the influence of cottage industry. So, I enjoy this work of bringing back these lost traditions. I have a total of 50 workers working in the factory and outside the factory. Alhamdulillah.

The Daily Tribunal: What is the availability of jute raw material for jute products?

Esrat Jahan Chowdhury: Actually there is a lot of politics in our country about jute. Those who work with this jute, they know this. There has been a nasty syndicate going on about it for the past few years. The price of jute is not fixed.

The market price of raw materials is sometimes problematic. For example, when there is a sudden foreign order, jute fabric or yarn is not easily available. The price also increases. Actually working with jute in Bangladesh is a bit difficult.

This is unfortunate because, this golden fiber, jute is grown in our country. Our farmers produce it. This is where it should be readily available. And we can use this cash crop jute if its market can be expanded and if the price can be controlled, then I think Bangladesh will not need anything else. The face of Bangladesh is supposed to change only if this jute survives. But the problem is, there is so much politics!

The Daily Tribunal: Is it possible to bring back the tradition of cash crops with jute and jute products?

Esrat Jahan Chowdhury: The future of jute is very bright. Jute is being produced. But there are many loopholes in the system. It is also important to fix the fair price of jute. There is not enough training in jute manufacturing. Most of the training that is given is on a few fixed items including shopping bags. But we export about 182 jute products.

See also, almost every subject in the garment sector has training facilities. Long ago the garment sector, Bangladesh made itself known to the world with jute and jute products. In India there is a system of institutional education on jute. Besides in our country, nothing much except a small training system.

The Daily Tribunal: Where is the problem of marketing of jute and jute goods?

Esrat Jahan Chowdhury: Marketing is a big problem in our jute sector. Specially, the matter is very delicate for small entrepreneurs in this sector. It is not possible for everyone find the buyer. Someone is doing it, I have overcome in this situation, and many people may be inclined to business with jute products. But after running for a while it can’t, as most of them fail to reach Buyers.

Another problem is- many people think that the price of jute products is very low. The number of artisans making jute fabric is very few. Few people make this jute yarn. As a result it is also expensive. If there was a fixed price and the number of fabric manufacturing factories or individuals increased, marketing of jute products would have been easier.

If we can get the fabric cheaper, we can offer the products cheaper.

The Daily Tribunal: As the director of Jute Goods Exporters Association of Bangladesh, how do you work with everyone together?

Esrat Jahan Chowdhury: Our association is the oldest organization. Personally I want to work together with small entrepreneurs. As we all know, we get 20 percent subsidy on jute exports. But many people do not know about one of its conditions.

Firstly you must be a member of the mill Association in that case. And for this membership, you will need two lakh taka and 20 looms. So we want, the small entrepreneurs should get this subsidy after being freed from this trap. This issue is hung in bureaucratic complications.
But still we are hopeful.

The Daily Tribunal: What coordination is the Bangladesh Jute Goods Exporters Association doing to solve these problems of small entrepreneurs?

Esrat Jahan Chowdhury: We are doing it. You know so much lack of coordination in our country! If everyone did his own work and let others do theirs, everyone would have benefited there.

The Daily Tribunal: To achieve economic prosperity in jute products, what are your organization and your personal future plans?

Esrat Jahan Chowdhury: There is no substitute for export in marketing. We are supposed to use 17 products in packaging in our country. But we use jute bags for a handful of products including rice sacks or sugar sacks. The rest are still not being implemented. If made compulsory, the consumption of jute in the country would increase. Employment will also increase.

The world is now going eco friendly environment. But we are still stuck with plastic. Now, if we can export ourselves, we will get benefit.

The Daily Tribunal: What to do for that?

Esrat Jahan Chowdhury: Firstly, care must be taken that the raw materials of the country do not go out. Secondly, all classes of entrepreneurs cannot reach the foreign buyers, in that case, if our embassies in different countries have display counters or corners of quality jute products, where buyers come and see, order the desired product, it seems that it will have a huge positive impact on the country’s economy.

Another important point is, as our product, there should be an international fair, not like the present international fair. No products will be sold here; will be exhibited. It can actually be like a buyer-seller meeting. Where buyers come, see products. Order as you like, take the product. Entrepreneurs will benefit from this. Unless you cannot go abroad, you can’t understand the process.

How many people can go to fairs in Germany or Hong Kong? Is it possible to go? These types of traders are getting orders from home. You can export your products. Income is also foreign currency.

The Daily Tribunal: To attend outdoor fairs, does the government give any sponsorship small entrepreneurs?

Esrat Jahan Chowdhury: As much government sponsorship as possible have, apart from that, an entrepreneur has to spend a minimum of six lakh taka to participate in a fair in a foreign country. But expenditure of staff/laborers throughout the year, factory cost, product manufacturing cost many do not have the luxury of attending this fair. And even if he goes to the fair, there is no guarantee that they will get an order. But in this case, it is necessary to take an initiative of the government.

That is, at least five reliable and promising entrepreneurs should be sent to foreign fairs at government expense for two consecutive years. May be he paid the cost of the plane or travel, the cost of the stall rent was paid by the government. It seems like these small initiatives can make a big impact.

The Daily Tribunal: Have you approached the Ministry of Jute with these suggestions or any recommendations?

Esrat Jahan Chowdhury: We have sent some recommendations. The rest depends on them.

The Daily Tribunal: Well, what is the comparative picture of our jute with the neighboring country India?

Esrat Jahan Chowdhury: Actually I think India should not be compared, because India is a very big country. Still our production and quality of jute is much higher than that of India.

Many people said that we cannot do business like India. But the reality is a number of jute has gone ‘unofficially’ to our neighboring countries. And our fabric is smuggled across the border into India.

They are profiting by making and selling diversified products. But to prevent this smuggling, we can manufacture quality products and export them directly, and then we can get benefit. Also an integrated plan is needed to strengthen the market for jute and jute products.

The Daily Tribunal: Thanks a lot with being us.