Finding hope in hair!
Farsia Ara was distraught when her van-puller husband, the sole earner of her family, left her and their three daughters two years ago.
Belonging to an ultra-poor family in Dinajpur's Nawabganj, she was struggling to support her children.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Unexpectedly however, she found hope in hair!
She joined the district's burgeoning loose hair processing industry as a detangler. Initially, she earned Tk 60 a day to smoothen out hair. But two years of her perseverance paid off and now she earns Tk 100 a day, making her Tk 3,000 a month.
Farsia finally found stability and married off her two elder daughters. Her youngest now works with her in the same hair processing factory, bringing their combined monthly income to around Tk 6,000 a month.
"This job has become a lifeline for my family. As I work from 7:00am to 1:00pm, I can also give time to them while maintaining my professional responsibilities … We also get festival bonuses!"
Farsia's story is just one of many.
Often overlooked, the hair processing and wig manufacturing industry is making significant strides in improving the lives of the poor.
Across Dinajpur, especially in Nawabganj and Chirirbandar upazilas, thousands of women from ultra-poor families have found employment in hair processing. Groups of 10 to 12 women work together in homes, sorting, cleaning, and preparing the hair.
Some of the women have been supporting their families for over a decade through this work.
Visiting the upazilas recently, this correspondent saw hundreds of women in groups, processing the hair that was bought from across the country.
Hafizul Islam, the owner of Antor-Aniq Hair Fashion in Nawabganj, has been involved in the business for last eight years.
"Our workers travel all over the country to buy hair from villages, towns and cities. These are then brought to the factory and processed. After processing, the loose hair is sent to many places in the country and even other countries, including China. There, the processed hair get the final polish and are sent again to different countries, including Bangladesh, to be manufactured into wigs."
He estimates that around 200 people from 15 villages are employed in his factory in Nawabganj alone, with approximately 17,000 women benefiting from this industry in the upazila under 250 traders like him. He informed that there are many more hair processing centres in other parts of Dinajpur.
The impact of the hair processing industry extends beyond employment.
Villagers like Afzal Hossain gets to earn an extra Tk 2,500 a month for renting his space out to accommodate a hair processing centre in Nawabganj's Jagannathpur.
"To be able to rent out a space in such a rural area is a rare opportunity," he said.
In Chirirbandar's Ranibandar Bazar area, at least 10,000 men and women were seen working in hair processing. Those whose skills are far more enhanced than others can earn up to Tk 15,000 to 20,000 per month. However, the number of such workers is still low.
Rasheda Begum, who works in a centre in the area, explained the process, "We sort, clean, trim, and bundle the hair … Then it's dyed, washed and dried in a separate factory, and graded to make Remy hair, which is highly valued in the market."
Remy hair is where the cuticles are kept intact and facing the same direction and are not stripped, making it the highest grade of real human hair extensions.
The market value of processed loose hair varies significantly, with prices ranging from Tk 5,000 per kg of 6-inch hair to Tk 8,000 per kg of 22-23 inches.
Rashidul Islam, another hair processing factory owner in Chirirbandar, attributes the sector's rapid growth to both local initiatives and foreign investments, particularly from China.
However, despite the industry's promise, workers' wages are still comparatively low.
Anwara Begum and Shahida Banu expressed concerns over the adequacy of their earnings amidst rising living costs.
"We work hard, but Tk 80-120 per day isn't enough to support our families anymore," Anwara lamented.
Laila Banu, vice chairman of Chirirbandar upazila and an entrepreneur, also emphasised the need for better wages and protection for the workers.
"The industry is profitable and is contributing to our economy, but the workers deserve a fair amount of money for their hard work. They also need better working conditions as many of the centres end up becoming unhygienic."
Motiar Rahman, who rose from being an unemployed villager to a successful entrepreneur employing 100 workers in his factory in Chirirbandar, said it was sometimes a hassle to source good quality and proper lengths of hair, and appealed for government support to import hair from other countries to further boost the industry.
As the hair processing industry in Dinajpur continues to grow, it brings with it both opportunities and challenges.
"Its transformative power is evident in the changing lives of thousands of villagers but also highlights the need for fair labour practices, adequate wages and protection for the workers to ensure its sustainable growth and equitable benefits for all those involved," Laila Banu said.
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