Mirpur's Jhutpatti, where nothing goes to waste

The name put the businessmen in a dilemma. After a lot of thinking, they decided to name the association 'Mirpur Kata Kapor Traders' Association'. 

I asked its accountant Mozammel Haque, "Why didn't you use the word jhut (scrap)?" 

He replied, "That sounds wrong because jhut (also spelled as jhoot) means 'false' in Hindi/Urdu. If we named the association 'Jhut Traders' Association', you would have laughed at it too!"  

He said, "Our association was registered under the Social Services Department. When I went to register, the issue with the name came up. In the end, this name [Mirpur Kata Kapor Traders Association] was chosen. The part of the cloth which is cut or left after making pants, shirts, jackets, sweaters etc, we use them for various purposes. That is why this name is best suited [as kata is Bangla for cut]." 

In search of the scrap sources

But where did the word jhut originate from? I had to go around to get an answer, but I couldn't get a clear one. 

Businessman Sohel Pradhan said, "Earlier, scrap clothes were usually strewn on the roads. When the business opportunity was found, the hustle began, which turned into a fight at one point. There are many tricks in this business. From first to last, all parties involved are in a race to deceive each other. That is why someone might have said, 'Yeh sab jhut hai' (everything is a lie)."   

But the work is eco-friendly. Synthetic scraps don't degrade, so they would pollute the environment. Moreover, many jobs are also being created in this sector. 

Sohail said, "It is true that we are reducing environmental pollution. Pants, shirts etc that are available on the footpaths for Tk100 all come from this Jhutpatti (scrap market). However, those involved in scrap picking are at health risk. Authorities ought to put more emphasis on this." 

Be that as it may, the name of the place remains Jhutpatti. Jhut or scrap business started at Mirpur-10 in the early 1980s but it boomed in the 1990s. 

Rashid Matbar started jhut business in 1993. Before that, he had a cement bag business. He heard about scraps from a friend who was a garment owner's driver. 

Photo: Rajib Dhar

He took Rashid to the factory where he saw several cartons piled up on the floor, each filled to the brim with scraps. He bought some of them, each one weighing 7-8 kilograms. 

Back then, scraps could be bought at a nominal price. In fact, many would simply give them away, thinking they were a waste of space. 

"To whom did you sell the scraps?"—when asked, Rashid said, "Scrap was mostly used for making pillows and mattresses. Some wholesalers used to come from Jinjira, Kaliganj. They took the bigger scraps and made clothes by stitching them together."

Labels are sold as well

There are about 700 shops in Jhutpatti and about 150 scrap stores. The rest sell garment accessories (buttons, labels, threads or elastic). Most of them sell single items. There are also shops selling zippers, ribbon or ropes, gabardine clothes, cartons, gum tapes, plastic covers etc. 

Then there are stores selling size labels, main labels, care labels, stickers etc as well. The button stores sell over 100 different kinds of buttons, varying in colour, shape and size. Stores also sell stoppers and lock pins used on jackets.

Ribbons from 0.5 centimetre to 8 centimetres are available at the ribbon and rope stores. 45 yards of ribbon makes one 'chakki' (wheel). A 5.5 cm wide chakki costs Tk200, an 8 cm wide chakki costs Tk400. 

Ropes include ropes for tying shoes, bags, sacks or vans. Some have elasticity, some don't. They are sold by the foot.

Most labels are square or rectangular. The main labels have company names and Made in Bangladesh written on them, the care labels have material names (such as cotton, polyester etc), washing methods etc written on them. 

But size labels are usually made of cloth. They have M (medium), L (large) or different numbers such as 42-44 etc written in them. Each size label is sold for Tk1-2. Some of them are locally made and some are of export quality. 

After receiving the order, the garments collect more clothes and accessories than required due to various reasons. The extra fabrics are returned intact (not damaged) to Jhutpatti. 

But these are not scraps; scraps are clothes cut into small pieces. However, jhut bags often contain yarns, buttons, ropes, zippers and plastic covers as well.

Why Mirpur is the appropriate location

When Rashid Matbar started the business, garment owners considered scraps a nuisance. It was an extra income opportunity for the production manager or subordinates. No one even thought of selling them in kilos. 

Jhutpatti shops were tin sheds; accessories shops did not exist back then. Now, many accessory shops and scrap shops have formed in places like Konabari, Ashulia etc. The owners are also paying attention to the scraps as the income is quite good. 

According to Rashid, scrap business first began in Tongi and then Mirpur. 

When asked why Mirpur became a suitable place for this business, he replied, "Scrap business takes a lot of space and there were plenty of empty spaces in Mirpur back in the day. Now, the business here is gradually decreasing because there is no free space. If you go to Konabari, you will see all the big warehouses."  

Hazrat Ali of Chandpur started a business at the same time as Rashid Matbar. One of his close friends was Mujibar Pradhan. Once Mujibar got a job, Hazrat Ali became lonely. 

Ali married the sister of an industrialist who had a garment at Mirpur-1. Based on that, he came to Dhaka and started the business of scraps, which quickly became profitable. Soon, Mujibar quit his job and joined his friend. 

Mujibar rented a house with bamboo fences for Tk1,300. Now, his son Sohail Pradhan pays a rent of Tk15,000. 

Like other businessmen, Sohail is also friends with garment workers. They call him and let him know where there is sufficient scrap. 

He buys the goods in sacks and each contains 80 to 85 kilograms of scraps. They are usually bought at a rate of Tk5 to Tk20 per kilogram. 

After the bag is brought, it is poured on the shop floor. Then Sohail, with the help of the sorters, separates the scraps by colour. They also separate the zippers and the buttons.  

Sometimes they get a long piece of lace, and sometimes a georgette piece big enough to make three kameezes.

The sorters get paid Tk200 to Tk250. After sorting, the scraps are sold at Tk25 to Tk40 per kg. Most scraps are exported to China and India.

New cloth from scrap yarns

Normally, there are two types of cloth in Jhutpatti —reusable (intact) and reprocessable (scrap). The scraps are turned into yarns which are turned into new clothes. 

Processing of synthetic (artificial) fibres has also started in our country. Scrap from T-shirts (also known as cut-pieces), however, have a special use —they are used to clean gun barrels and computer keyboards. They are sold at Tk100 to Tk120 per kilogram. 

According to the president of Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA), the textile mill owners' organisation, the global demand for synthetic fibre clothing will soon exceed 70%.  

Investment in manufacturing synthetic fibre yarns and clothes is also increasing in our country. Now, 70 factories in the country are producing yarn from polyester and viscose fabrics. BTMA is therefore in favour of stopping the export of scraps.

On the other hand, a report by Bangladesh Textile and Garments Waste Processors and Exporters Association (BTGWPEA) says that scrap export can be a sector with great potential. 

And according to Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) sources, four lakh tons of scraps are produced annually in the country and there is a possibility of earning Tk300 crores from it. 

Many of the members of BTGWPEA export scraps to India, China, the USA, Turkey and other European countries. As of the last five years, their average value is $5 to $6 million. 

In Bangladesh, yarn is produced from clothes using traditional techniques. For this reason, many small factories have been established in North Bengal, especially in Dinajpur, Lalmonirhat, Kishoreganj, Pabna's Ishwardi, Naogaon and Kurigram.

20 trucks every day 

Every day, an average of 20 trucks ply from Mirpur's Jhutpatti to different parts of the country and towards India. If each truck carries an average of eight tons, the total weight is 160 tons, i.e 1 lakh 60 thousand kilograms. 

At Tk25 per kg, Tk40 lakh worth scrap is sold in a day at Jhutpatti, said Mozammel Haque, accountant of the Kata Kapor Traders Association.

Photo: Rajib Dhar

He also said that 10,000 to 12,000 workers are employed here. His association has registered 300 scrap and accessories shops. 

Scrap traders sell products through the association. It provides security to the traders and maintains discipline in the market. It also has their own cleaning staff. In return, the association takes 1% profit from the traders.

The Jhutpatti is located near the Benarasi Polli in Mirpur. A large market for cheap clothes has developed in Mirpur-10 Roundabout's east and west sides. 

Mozammel Haque believes that the Jhutpatti will not become empty anytime soon. Many people are investing in the scrap business because it can be started with as little as three lakh takas. 

However, Sohel Pradhan warned, "It is true, but if you come to do business without any knowledge of it, you will become bankrupt."