Rangpur women earn self-reliance through embroidery, spangling, and ornamental stitching, boosting rural cottage industry. Photo : BSS

RANGPUR, Nov 10, 2025 (BSS) - Decorative embroidery, needlework and spangling on women's clothing has become a viable profession and enterprise for economic empowerment of poor rural women in Rangpur division.
 
Nearly 50,000 women across the eight districts of the division are engaged in decorative embroidery, sewing and spangle work as needlework artisans in their homes or in local enterprises. 
 
They are earning a dignified livelihood, becoming economically empowered and leading a better life with their family members.
 
According to Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC), experts and NGO sources, about 50,000 rural housewives, divorcees, unemployed young girls, adolescents, students and widows are engaged with this profession and many of them have already achieved self-reliance. 
 
The rural females with assistance of BSCIC, different government organisations and NGOs have adopted embroidering, spangling and ornamental stitching on saree, three pieces and other female clothes as a profession to change their fortune. 
 
The Department of Youth Development (DYD), Bangladesh Rural Development Board, Department of Women Affairs (DWA), Department of Social Services, other departments and NGOs are assisting to expand the sector jointly with local traders and entrepreneurs.  
 
Deputy General Manager of Rangpur BSCIC Office Md Ehsanul Haque said the female artisans remain busy in embroidering, spangling and ornamental stitching on saree, three pieces and other clothes round the year and earn well.
 
"These craftswomen remain very busy earning more before the Eid-ul-Fitr and Durga Puja festivities as demand for their products increases many times in the fashion markets of the capital city, other cities and towns across the country," he said.

The embroidery works of the women artisans add additional value to the female clothes being marketed at higher price in the country's sophisticated markets, including capital city. 

Deputy Director of the DYD, Rangpur Md Abdul Faruk said some 2,500 women are earning well after getting training on embroidery with DYD assistance to lead a better life with their family members contributing to keep the rural economy moving onwards.
 
"We provided necessary training to these unemployed female youths, divorcees and distressed women on sewing and embroidery and disbursed easy-term loans and inputs in recent years to make them self-reliant," he said. 
 
He said the home-based or enterprise-based embroidery or ornamental stitching works have got a shape of growing cottage industry creating huge jobs for unemployed female youths to cut poverty and change rural economy.
 
Similarly, about 4,500 unemployed women in Rangpur division are engaged in ornamental sewing after receiving training and assistance from RDRS Bangladesh, a reputed NGO, over the years to become self-reliant. 
 
Deputy Director of the DWA, Rangpur Most Saloara Begum said many unemployed female youths are earning well after getting training on sewing and embroidering and assistance from the DWA. 
 
Talking to BSS, female entrepreneur Sanjida Lopa said she has set up 'Taimur Boutique' where 14 female youths are working as expert artisans at Dhap Lalkuthi area in Rangpur city and many of them earning up to Taka 15,000 every month per head.
 
"We face huge pressure to supply previously ordered woks on embroidering, spangling and ornamental stitching on saree, three pieces and other female clothes round the year," Lopa said.
 
Local entrepreneur Chand Mia of village Chankuthi Danga in Badarganj upazila of Rangpur said he has expanded the spangling industry generating employment for many poor rural women through turning them into expert spangling and embroidery artisans.
 
Craftswomen Mohua Begum, Joytsna Khatun, Nahar Banu, Shamima, Marjina, Sohana and Mollika said they have achieved self-reliance through ornamental needlework like other unemployed women and girls of Chankuthi Danga village in the upazila.
 
Successful craftswomen Anar Koli, Mahbuba, Shabana Begum, Saleha Khatun and Noorjahan of Saidpur upazila in Nilphamari said they generally earn Taka 15,000 monthly and up to Taka 20,000 through embroidery works.
 
Chairman of 'Northbengal Institute of Development Studies' Dr Syed Samsuzzaman said embroidery and spangling have got the shape of a cottage industry as rural women have launched their own enterprises to change the rural macro-economy. 
 
"The craftswomen earn Taka 12,000 to 20,000 per month depending on their expertise and quality of decorative works on saree, three pieces and other female clothes with spangling, ornamental stitching and embroidery," he added.