Due to a volatile market for cotton thread and import of foreign garments, the textile owners of Narsingdi are facing loss. With the deteriorating trend, the industry is in jeopardy.

The owners of the industry have asked for a cap on imports and fixing of the price of cotton thread by the government.
Narsingdi has a golden history of garment manufacturing; once known as the Manchester of the east, Baburhaat, is also located here.
Around 70 to 80 per cent of the country’s garment demand is met from materials made here, claim traders.
Using advanced technology, three pieces, shirt pieces, sarees, lungis, bedcovers and other items are made here.
There are about 1500 industries, employing thousands of workers.
While the price of thread is rising, the actual selling price is stuck in the market.
The import of garments also creates unfair competition, allege traders.
Due to prolonged slump in trade, many businessmen who set up industries with bank loans, are in crisis.
Textile owner, Shafiqul Islam, and others say: “there is no monitoring on the price of thread and the rates increase on the excuse that cotton price went up in the international market.”
President of the Narsingdi Chamber of Commerce, Abdullah Al Mamun, told Bangla Tribune: “once the thread market is stable and foreign import is regulated, the local textile industry can be saved.”
We have been asking the government to regulate the price of thread based on the price of cotton, he added.
“Hopefully, this will be incorporated in the textile policy.”