Caught between heat and debt, Faridpur's hand-fan crafters struggle to survive
In Joynagar village of Boalmari upazila – known locally as the district’s 'fan village' – families have spent generations crafting hand fans from sugar palm leaves
As a relentless heatwave sweeps across Faridpur and prolonged power outages leave residents sweltering, demand for traditional hand fans has surged across the district. But for the craftsmen producing them, booming sales have done little to ease financial hardship.
In Joynagar village of Boalmari upazila – known locally as the district's "fan village" – families have spent generations crafting hand fans from sugar palm leaves. Every summer, production ramps up with rising temperatures. This year is no exception.
Across the village, palm leaves dry in courtyards while men prepare bamboo frames and women stitch and decorate the fans. Even school- and college-going children help after classes. Nearly 42 families, involving at least 150 men and women, depend on the trade, supplying fans to Faridpur, Dhaka, Magura, Rajbari and beyond.
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For Monir Sheikh, the craft has been a livelihood for 23 years. "My wife, children and in-laws all help with the work. Together, we can produce around 100 to 150 fans a day," he said.
Yet the summer rush conceals a harsher reality. The work is seasonal, and when summer ends, Monir supplements his income by making quilts and mattresses.
The challenges facing craftsmen extend beyond seasonality. A declining number of sugar palm trees has made raw materials increasingly difficult to obtain, while rising production costs continue to squeeze already-thin margins.
"The price we receive does not reflect the labour and expense involved," said crafter Josna Begum. "Many of us have to take advance loans or borrow from NGOs at high interest rates to continue production. Middlemen earn far more from our work than we do."
That dependence on costly borrowing has become one of the industry's biggest challenges. Residents say many craftsmen rely on advance payments and high-interest loans to buy raw materials before the season begins.
By the time debts are repaid, much of their earnings have vanished, leaving them trapped in a cycle that is difficult to escape despite strong demand.
Crafter Yunus Sheikh said fans are sold wholesale for Tk15-20 apiece before traders resell them for Tk30-32. "There is very little profit left for us," he said. "The people who buy from us earn much more."
Motaleb, another craftsman, said producing 100 fans costs nearly Tk2,000, while sales bring in only Tk2,500-Tk3,000 depending on the type. "After all the labour involved, the return is minimal," he said.
Local officials acknowledge the problem. Satair Union Parishad Chairman Rafiul Alam said discussions would be held with the upazila administration and the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) officials to explore low-interest loans. BSCIC Deputy General Manager Ahsan Kabir said craftsmen could also receive advanced training and support in accessing affordable financing.
For now, however, Joynagar's fan makers continue working through the heat, producing one of summer's simplest comforts while struggling under the weight of debt. As temperatures rise and electricity remains unreliable, many fear that without fair credit and better returns, the future of their centuries-old craft will remain uncertain.
