Artisan Hut was founded in 2002 by Monju Haque and has its head office and production workshop in Dhaka.

Artisan Hut has created opportunities for artisans in rural areas such as Narsingdi and Jhenaidha, by using their traditional hand skills of hand weaving, block printing and hand embroidery.

The highly skilled hand-weavers of Bangladesh cannot compete with the fast fashion market, where the main priority is to get a new garment from the design board to the shop floor in 6 weeks.

Artisan Hut’s mission is to promote and celebrate traditional hand skills through their beautiful garments.

The Makers

Working with Artisan Hut gives the producers the chance to improve their livelihood and enjoy a good work-life balance. Hosna Akter, who is assistant tailor at Artisan Hut described her typical daily routine to us:

“I live with my mother, brother and sister in the Ashkona region of Dhaka, just a 10 minute walk from the office. I usually wake up at 7 o’clock in the morning and get ready to go to the office. After having my breakfast, I leave the house at 8:45am to be ready to start work at 9am. I have my lunch at home together with my family. I finish work at 5pm and go back home. I normally rest, watch TV and help my mother with cooking. I also like to visit my family and friends at their homes. I have dinner together with my mother and my brother and sister at 8pm and I go to bed early at around 9pm.”

When she is at work, she values the working environment and the capacity building at Artisan Hut the most, which allows her to develop further: “I enjoyed participating in the World Fair Trade Day last year and meeting with other Fair Trade organisations and staff.”