In Furinda village of Kanthaltala in Araihazar, Narayanganj, one meets people almost coloured by yarn dye, though their lives are not colourful in that sense. Yarn bought for various uses but left over or rejected is handed by Narayanganj factory owners to mahajans, and the yarn is re-dyed in different colours to weave gamchhas, lungis and three-piece sets.

The mahajans hire workers from different areas to dye the yarn, and bear the cost of their food and lodging. The workers are paid Tk 10,000 to 12,000 a month.

They mix chemicals, boil the yarn and dye it in different colours to the factory owners' orders, then dry it in the sun and send it back to the owner. After years of the work, dye stays on the workers' hands and feet, and food tastes bitter when they eat. Breathing problems and other illnesses are common.

With the coronavirus outbreak and other causes, factories have been closing, so demand for yarn dyers is also falling. These photographs of the colourful people were taken recently.

Photos: Mansura Hossain / Prothom Alo

Source: Prothom Alo. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.