After a remarkable closure spanning 21 years, the Thakurgaon Silk Factory has officially resumed its operations on 3 August. The factory’s revival has brought renewed hope to the region, as activities to reinstate its production are in full swing.
Efforts to restore the factory to its former glory are well underway, with machines undergoing thorough cleaning and refurbishment to ensure optimal weaving conditions.
Once celebrated for its production of fine silk fabrics, the factory now boasts 20 power looms and 20 hand looms, all of which are set to buzz with activity once again. The reopening has ignited enthusiasm among both seasoned workers and newly recruited staff.
The shuttering of the silk factory had a profound impact on nearly 5,000 silk farmers, rendering them jobless. However, with the factory’s resurgence, a silver lining emerges as over 5,000 farmers engaged in sericulture anticipate renewed job opportunities, thanks to the production of smooth silk fabric utilizing their meticulously nurtured silkworms’ yarn.
Thakurgaon’s Supriya Group has taken a five-year lease on the factory, envisioning not only local progress but also silk fabric exports.
Local Member of Parliament, Ramesh Chandra Sen, is poised to inaugurate the factory’s rekindled production, as stated by Md. Bablur Rahman, Chairman of Supriya Group.
The factory stands ready for operation, having employed around 25-30 workers, including eight experienced hands from the factory’s history, noted Rahman. While a minor technical glitch temporarily holds back some machinery, resolution efforts are underway, and any necessary new machines will be procured.
The journey toward the factory’s revival embarked in 2019, with a diligent investigation team led by Moniruzzaman, a Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Textiles and Jute. Their affirmative report paved the way for a nine-member technical committee’s formation in October 2020, culminating in the lease of the factory to Supriya Group.
Belayet Hossain, the newly appointed General Manager of the factory, confirmed the successful completion of all technical preparations. Former factory workers, eager to return, have already been contacted.
Thakurgaon District Commissioner, Md Mahbubur Rahman, anticipates that the factory’s resurgence will create a myriad of employment opportunities, while highlighting the global and national demand for Thakurgaon’s silk fabric.
Established by the private organization RDRS in 1977-78, the factory’s modernization was completed by December 1998. Operational setbacks led to its closure in November 2002. However, after two decades of persistent appeals by the people of Thakurgaon and sericulturists, the factory now gains a fresh lease on life in the private sector.
