Bangladesh

Bangladesh, a tiny nation located next to India, is the most densely populated country in the world. Approximately 2,160 people live per square mile (by comparison, the U.S. figure is 75 people per square mile). Most citizens are Muslim, but the country also has Buddhist and Christian minorities.

Bangladeshis are very poor; their average yearly income is only $200. Handicraft production provides an important source of supplemental income, especially for women. Bangladesh is located on a fertile alluvial plain where rice, tea and most of the world's jute are grown. Three-fourths of the labor force works in agriculture-related activities. Bangladesh has a tropical monsoon climate, with hundreds of inches of rain per year. Heavy summer rains from June to September are generally accompanied by hurricanes and floods, often of catastrophic proportions.

The handicrafts produced in Bangladesh are many and varied. They include hemp rope and twine made by rural women; terra cotta pottery which has been produced in rural Bangladesh since ancient times (including figurines and ornaments); embroidery and paintings, wicker items made from bamboo, cane and grass; handmade paper produced from jute scraps and water hyacinth; wheat straw greeting cards; hand-sewn fabric items; jute items produced by women who were left destitute following the war of independence from Pakistan; and leather items made by men, many of whom are handicapped.

A wide variety of craft job training programs provides vital income-- and a way to build a better life-- for many people in Bangladesh.

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