Betwixt and Between-Weaving Industry of Bangladesh Under Structural Transformation: An Empirical Study on Narsingdi District

Abstract

The diffusion of industrialization has impacted negatively on the livelihood of the handloom weavers in Bangladesh because people were overwhelmed by the production of the power loom industry. The paper aims to explore how the technological and structural transformation has driven handloom weavers to the verge of extinction. To delve into the intricacies of the issue, both qualitative and quantitative methods were employed. A total of 56 weavers were surveyed and two case studies were conducted in the Narsingdi district. The review examines the effects of technological diffusion in the distribution of income, asset ownership and livelihood trajectories. The results indicate that the power loom sector has significantly substituted the productivity and income of handloom weavers. The ongoing limitation associated with access to capital, the digital divide and insufficient institutional backing sustain the socio-economic inequality between weavers, which is in line with the attributes of an intra-industry dual economy. Through applying dual sector and structural transformation theories to the artisanal industries, the paper has shown that technological diffusion in the traditional sectors can create divergence rather than convergence in livelihoods. The implications of these findings on inclusive industrial policy, financial inclusion policy and targeted technological upgrading in informal rural industries are important.