Raj Knitwears

Raj Knitwears is situated at 12, Industrial Area A, near the Bhuyangdev Char Rasta. Being close to such a busy four-way crossing means there is never a dull moment outside. The sounds of the city are always there in the background while we work. Inside our space, it’s mostly the rhythmic clicking and humming of the knitting machines. It becomes like white noise after you’ve been here for an hour. There are piles of yarn in different colors stacked up against the walls, and sometimes the lint gets everywhere, even in our hair. We spend most of the day walking between the machines to make sure nothing has snagged or run out of thread. The floor is covered in bits of loose string and fabric scraps. We have a small area where we pack the finished sweaters and shirts into plastic bags. It’s not a very big operation, just a few of us making sure the machines keep running. During the heat of the day, we turn on the big ceiling fans, but they just move the warm air around. We usually take our breaks one by one so someone is always watching the needles. It’s steady work, and by the end of the shift, your back usually feels it. We just lock up the gates and head home once the day's quota is sitting in the bins for delivery.