Crisis in the Bamboo Cane Industry: The Struggle for Survival of Cottage Industry in Faridpur's Mallikpara

About 150 households in Mallikpara village of Faridpur Sadar Upazila in Bangladesh are engaged in the traditional craft of making bamboo baskets known as jhaka. This cottage industry is now facing multiple crises. Rising raw material prices, shortage of capital, and not receiving fair prices—these three factors together have pushed the industry into a struggle for survival. Artisans have been making jhaka for generations. But now there is a fear that they may be forced to abandon this profession. Although production costs have increased due to the rise in bamboo prices, the selling price of jhaka has not increased proportionally. As a result, the artisans' income is decreasing. Due to lack of capital, they cannot buy enough raw materials. Again, due to the dominance of middlemen, they are not getting fair prices. All together, this industry is now endangered. To keep the industry alive, assistance in raw material supply, making capital easily available, and ensuring fair prices are essential.