Kaluhati: Workers and owners of most of the shoe and other footwear factories at Kaluhati village in the district are passing their busiest days ahead of the forthcoming Eid-ul-Fitr festival.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, consumer demand for attractive design and good quality products has doubled this year.
Kaluhati, a village under Charghat upazila in Rajshahi, has become known as the “Shoe Village” due to its thriving footwear industry, with many residents involved in shoe manufacturing, primarily leather shoes, and supplying to various districts in the northern region. The village has gained a reputation for producing high-quality leather footwear, with 90% of its production being leather shoes and the remaining 10% consisting of jute and rexine products.
Currently, more than 5,000 shoe workers are employed in the factories, with an additional 2,000 women laborers making shoe boxes. The village, approximately 30 kilometers from Rajshahi city, is bustling with activity as factories operate
around the clock to meet the heightened demand during the Eid season. The surge in demand is a positive sign for the expansion of this local industry.
Kaluhati’s footwear products are well-known among businessmen from different parts of the country, and the village is home to around 50 shoe factories employing approximately 6,200 male and female workers. The businesses are thriving, with many women also emerging as small-scale entrepreneurs, producing shoe-packets, bags, key-rings, purses, and wallets.
The transformation of Kaluhati has been significant, with families that once struggled now living in brick homes with access to electricity. The village’s roads are well-maintained to accommodate visiting bankers, wholesalers, and retailers. This economic revolution can be traced back to Rokeya Begum, whose family’s shift from traditional agriculture to footwear manufacturing marked the beginning of a new era for the village.
Abida Sultana, owner of a packet and box factory, highlighted the increased orders
during the Eid season, while Morjina Begum, who has been working at Konica Shoes Factory for over seven years, has successfully established her own factory, employing 22 women. Her initial investment of Taka 20,000 has grown to over Taka three lakh.
Despite the success, the industry faces competition from imported footwear, as noted by Abdul Mannan, president of the Kaluhati Shoe Industry Owners Cooperative Limited. However, the shoes and sandals produced in Kaluhati have gained recognition throughout the country, with products being supplied to districts in Rajshahi, Rangpur, and Khulna divisions.