Jamdani Festival 2019

Workshops

The Jamdani industry saw a steady decline during the mid-19th century, in the era of the British colonial period. The fall of the Mughal Empire deprived artisans of their most influential patrons, and the use of machinery in the English textile industry, as well as the subsequent import of lower quality, but cheaper yarn from Europe contributed to a steady decline.

In present times, the quality of Jamdanis continue to suffer due to the lack of fine cotton yarn, access to original designs and rising cost of production. Temporary displays and museum collections have continued to play a major role in documenting designs and acting as guides for traders and producers.  Several non-government agencies have organised exhibitions in Dhaka, Delhi and London to promote handlooms and crafts. The first such exhibition, after the independence of Bangladesh, was organised in 1974 by a few enterprising individuals led by Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin. The purpose was to expose Bangladesh’s folk cultural heritage to consumers and designers. It led to the establishment of several craft organisations and boutiques in Dhaka and other cities.   The Bangladesh Handloom Board and the BSCIC hold periodic textile exhibitions at which Jamdanis are displayed.  Two exhibitions organised by Aarong in 1981 and 2010 demonstrated the wide variety of designs that were woven on very simple pit looms. In 1986 the White Chapel Art Gallery also arranged an exhibition of hand woven Jamdani and hand stitched kanthas.  Since the Gallery was located in East London, it was an opportunity for residents (many of whom were migrants from Bangladesh) to see fabrics that had been made in Bangladesh.

In an attempt to restore the quality and exquisite design of the Jamdani, we have collected century-old designs from various historical records, museums and private collections from Bangladesh and abroad. The designs were used to conduct a series of workshops, where weavers reproduced these original designs. The reproductions from the weavers’ workshops will be showcased at the festival exhibition.

Participating Artisans

Master Weaver

Abul Kalam, Sonargaon
Alek Chand, Kazipara, Sonargaon
Anwar Hossain, Rupganj
Awal, Rupganj
Faruk, Kazipara, Sonargaon
Faruq, Rupganj
Firoz Miah, Sonargaon
Hanif Mia, Sonargaon
Hassan, Rupganj
Hazrat Ali, Kazipara, Sonargaon
Jahirul Islam, Bhargaon, Sonargaon
Md. Iqbal, Rupganj
Md. Jahangir, Rupganj
Md. Jamal Hossain, Kazipara, Sonargaon
Md. Kabir Hossain, Rupganj
Md. Mohsin, Rupganj
Md. Raajan, Rupganj
Md. Sakib, Rupganj
Md. Shukkur Ali, Bhargaon, Sonargoan
Md. Siddique, Rupganj
Md. Sujan, Rupganj
Md. Zainul, Rupganj
Mubin-ur-Rahman Shaheen, Rupganj
Mukhtar, Sonargaon
Muzammel, Kazipara, Sonargaon
Qurban, Rupganj
Rafiq, Rupganj
Rahmat Ullah, Rupganj
Shabuj Mia, Rupganj
Sulaiman, Kazipara, Sonargaon
Sumon, Rupganj
Yunus, Rupganj

Assistant Weaver

 Abul Hossain, Narayanganj
Akhi Akhtar, Sonargaon
Amanullah, Rupganj
Delwar, Rupganj
Faizur, Rupganj
Fazlul Haque, Rupganj
Hridoy, Bhargaon, Sonargaon
Idris Ali, Kazipara, Sonargaon
Islam, Kazipara, Sonargaon
Junayed, Kazipara, Sonargaon
Khan Jahan, Kazipara, Sonargaon
Lucky Akhtar, Rupganj
Mahbub, Rupganj
Maksuda, Rupganj
Md. Abdul, Rupganj
Md. Allauddin, Bhargaon, Sonargaon
Md. Anwar Hossain, Rupganj
Md. Arif Hossain, Kazipara, Sonargaon
Md. Babu Ahmed, Bhargaon, Sonargaon
Md. Islam, Bhargaon, Sonargaon
Md. Jewel, Rupgan
Md. Rashed, Rupganj
Md. Rezaul Haque, BSCIC, Rupganj
Md. Salahuddin, Rupganj
Md. Shakil Ahmed, Kazipara, Sonargaon
Md. Swapan Islam, Bhargaon, Sonargaon
Md. Suman, Rupganj
Md. Swapan, Bhargaon, Sonargaon
Md. Tuhin, Bhargaon, Sonargaon
Md. Tutul Hossain, Bhargaon, Sonargaon
Meem, Rupganj
Mofiz, Rupganj
Mokles, Rupganj
Moni Akthar, Rupganj
Monir, Rupshi
Mosharaf Hossain, Sonargaon
Mst. Nurunnesa, Kazipara, Sonargaon
Nasir, Rupganj
Nur-Alam, Rupganj
Rakib, Sonargaon
Rashed, Rupganj
Rayhan, Kishoreganj
Roksana, Rupganj
Roni, Rupganj
Shahid, Rupganj
Shahin, Bhargaon, Sonargon
Shakil, Kazipara, Sonargaon
Shefali Akhtar, Sonargaon
Sultana, Sonargaon
Swapnil, Rupganj
Taslima, Rupganj
Yazuddin, Kazipara, Sonargaon
Yeasin, Chanpur

Supervisor Weaver

Abul Kashem, Rupganj
Al-Islam, Rupganj
Din Islam, Sonargaon
Enamul Haq, Rupganj
Md. Mujibur, Sonargaon
Md. Abdul Jabbar, Bhargaon, Sonargaon
Md. Al-Amin Hossain, BSCIC, Rupganj
Md. Jahirul Islam, Bhargaon, Sonargoan
Md. Mujibur Rahman, Bhargaon, Sonargoan
Md. Shajib Hossain, Rupganj
Md. Shiraj, Rupganj
Mobarak, Rupganj
Shah Alam Mia, Bhargaon, Sonargoan

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