The hand-made caps (tupi) by women of Prayanth village under Kurigram’s Ulipur upazila are now being sold in markets of the Middle East countries. The demand of the hand-made caps of different designs is being increased there. Some hundreds of poor women of the upazila have been employed with making caps while their families become solvency.

The main craftswoman and entrepreneur of making the cap Morsheda Begam had to overcome a challenge. Now she is an icon to the unemployed women for providing job. She is a resident of Patilapur village under Ulipur upazila of Kurigram district and Director of the cap-making company named ‘Nipun Hastaya Shilpa Sambhar,’which is founded by her.

Morsheda Begam got married in 1995 while she was a student of class ten. After marriage she along with her husband went to Tangail district due to lack of their economic crisis and took work in a towel-making factory. There she met with one Kamola Begum, who would live to their nearest house and make prayer-caps. After observing Kamola’s cap-making process, she learned technique of making cap.

Morsheda Begam would work in the factory during the day and work of making cap at night. Firstly she got Tk 350 as daily wage from Kamola. Once, an official of a private company was impressed by her nice work and gave a demand for some caps. At the first time, she got Tk 17,000 for supplying 50 prayer-caps.

Then Morsheda returned to her native village and started work of making caps taking local seven women who were enabled to overcome their poverty and Morsheda is now a millionaire with her hand-made cap business.

Hearing her success, many unemployed women were included to make caps. Morsheda not has only created job for women of Patilapur village, but has also created job for women of neighbouring villages. About five thousand women are now working with her. Besides women, many men are earning money having involved with the work.

According to direction of Morsheda, the women makes different types of the patterned caps with needle, silk-yarn and one-more pieces of cloth. She sold the caps to two cap-traders of Feni district. Then the caps are sold in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Dubai of the Middle East.

She has 15 supervisors in her working areas to look after the making caps. The women get a remuneration of Tk 800 to Tk 1,600 for each hand-made cap while its cost is around Tk 150 for needle and silk-yarn. Morsheda takes a commission of Tk 70 to Tk 90 for each cap while eight thousand to ten thousand caps are sold every month.

Hawa Begam of Patilapur village said, “I have been working of making caps for four years after receiving training to Morsheda Begum. Now I have no crisis likely to my family. Apart from normal works of my family, I earn a good income with making cap.”

Eighth grader student Mukta Khatun said, “Besides my studying, I work of making cap to Morsheda aunty. What I earn from here, I help my father with the rest money after covering my education purpose. Not only me, are many female students working here.”

Moushumi Akhtar of Satdargah village said, “We make the prayer-caps (tupi) throughout the year. The caps are in high demand especially during the month of Ramadan and the Eid festivals. During this time, we earn up to Tk 10,000 each.”

Shah Mohammad Jonayed, Deputy Manager of Kurigram BSIC, said, “The caps made by Morsheda Begam, who is an entrepreneur of Patilapur village under Ulipur upazila, are going to some countries of the Middle East. It is good news for Kurigram district. She has created employment for some thousands of women. Kurigram BSIC would help to Morsheda Begam if any government training, financial loan or any assistance is needed to market her hand-made caps.”