"When it comes to subsidy and support, it is important to think who deserve it, but the government stopped providing subsidy to Jamdani saree producers although the product has a high demand in our neighbouring countries," M Alauddin, owner of M Alauddin Jamdani at Rupganj, Narayanganj, told the news agency at BSCIC Training Institute yesterday.

The small entrepreneurs are, in fact, frustrated for poor attention of both the government and the country's apex trade body to promote 6,49,744 small and cottage industries that employed some 2.8 million people. They expect a better deal from the government in the coming national budget for fiscal year 2005-06.

Many small entrepreneurs, particularly the owners of Jamdani factories, said if this situation continues, there will be no option for them but to give up their age-old business.

They said they are passing through a bad time due to unusual price hike of the silk thread and absence of government subsidy and support. Ten grams of silk thread is now selling at Tk 28 against Tk 14 a few months back.

"Small industries have enormous potentials and they could help earn huge amount foreign currencies, but we can't do that just for negligence of the government," Alauddin said.

Describing their woes, Alauddin said, "The Indian government stopped allowing duty-free access of our Jamdani sarees to its market last year, but our government seems to be reluctant to start negotiations with them in this regard."

About patronage of the apex trade body -- FBCCI -- he said, "They are busy promoting their own businesses and they don't have any time to think about us."

Referring to plot shortage on Narayanganj BSCIC estate, he said, "Now there are only 400 plots, but we need more than 1200 plots."

Alauddin said smuggling of Indian sarees into Bangladesh market is hindering their business. "This smuggling should be stopped in the greater interest of the country as well as the small and cottage industry owners like us," he said.

M Shamsuddin of Fahim Jamdani said foreign buyers think twice before coming to Bangladesh due to security problems. "Poor publicity by the government for promoting Jamdani sarees in foreign markets is another reason why we cannot boost our export," he said.

Prof Dr Belayet Hossain of Dhaka University's Marketing Department in a keynote paper titled "The marketing problems and challenges of the small and cottage industries in the free market economy" said the new concept of open market economy caused a huge damage to small and cottage industries.

About unavailability of loans for the small and cottage industries, he said, "Even they don't not know from where they can get formal loans."