BSS, Rajshahi :
Many people both in rural and urban areas are leading happy life through bamboo basket manufacturing as its demand increases to a greater extent during every harvesting seasons of mango, litchi and tomato.
Dr Redwanur Rahman, Associate Professor of Institute of Environmental Sciences of Rajshahi University, said more than 10,000 people are involved in bamboo crafts making. Most of them are women and aborigines.
Bamboo crafts are their main sources of income in the region. He mentioned that around 15,000 other people are completely dependent on bamboo crafts trading for their livelihood.
The manufacturers collect bamboo from local markets and sell the finished products locally while small traders purchase the items from different villages and sell those to various regional markets.
Dr Redwan says the people in the famous mango producing Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj districts are engaged in the work as the item, used for safe packing of fruits, sees high demand during the mango and litchi harvesting season.
The manufacturers pass busy days making bamboo baskets, locally called jhuri or tukri, as the item is widely used for safe packing of mangoes and litchis to send those to different areas of the country including capital Dhaka from this area.
“I use bamboo baskets for safe packing of mangoes that are sent to different districts. Many people like it as quality and taste of mangoes remain unaffected when carried in bamboo baskets. I use over 85 baskets daily during the mango season,” said trader Ziaul Haque of Darusha village under Paba upazila.
The trade serves as an additional income source for many poor and lower middle class rural people. “I can make two big sized jhuris with bamboo splits in a day and each sells for Tk 250. I engaged in the work for over two months and earn around Tk 25,000,” said Sahar Ali of Nandangachhi village in Charghat upazila.
Anwar Hossain of neighbouring Halidagachhi village said he makes small baskets and fishing crafts with bamboo splits round the year and sells those at Tk 65 to 80 each. He earns over Tk eight to nine thousand in a month.
More than 200 people of the villages, mostly farm labourers, are engaged in this work when they are free after harvesting paddy, they said.
Jobayer Hassan of Baneswar village, a wholesaler, said he buys the baskets from the local weavers and supplies it to different markets in Rajshahi, Bagha, Charghat, Kansat and Nawhata as the item has high demand, especially during the mango and litchi season.
Bamboo container for carrying vermicelli, which is locally known as shemai, has become popular in the region during the last 10 to 15 years. “During the month of Ramadan, we had an order for Tk 60,000 to supply shemai- carriers to the nearby district towns and other parts of the division,” says one craftsman, Golam Mostofa from Godagari.
Indeed, students of various schools get involved during the peak season in helping their parents to fill the many orders from shemai makers.
Many people both in rural and urban areas are leading happy life through bamboo basket manufacturing as its demand increases to a greater extent during every harvesting seasons of mango, litchi and tomato.
Dr Redwanur Rahman, Associate Professor of Institute of Environmental Sciences of Rajshahi University, said more than 10,000 people are involved in bamboo crafts making. Most of them are women and aborigines.
Bamboo crafts are their main sources of income in the region. He mentioned that around 15,000 other people are completely dependent on bamboo crafts trading for their livelihood.
The manufacturers collect bamboo from local markets and sell the finished products locally while small traders purchase the items from different villages and sell those to various regional markets.
Dr Redwan says the people in the famous mango producing Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj districts are engaged in the work as the item, used for safe packing of fruits, sees high demand during the mango and litchi harvesting season.
The manufacturers pass busy days making bamboo baskets, locally called jhuri or tukri, as the item is widely used for safe packing of mangoes and litchis to send those to different areas of the country including capital Dhaka from this area.
“I use bamboo baskets for safe packing of mangoes that are sent to different districts. Many people like it as quality and taste of mangoes remain unaffected when carried in bamboo baskets. I use over 85 baskets daily during the mango season,” said trader Ziaul Haque of Darusha village under Paba upazila.
The trade serves as an additional income source for many poor and lower middle class rural people. “I can make two big sized jhuris with bamboo splits in a day and each sells for Tk 250. I engaged in the work for over two months and earn around Tk 25,000,” said Sahar Ali of Nandangachhi village in Charghat upazila.
Anwar Hossain of neighbouring Halidagachhi village said he makes small baskets and fishing crafts with bamboo splits round the year and sells those at Tk 65 to 80 each. He earns over Tk eight to nine thousand in a month.
More than 200 people of the villages, mostly farm labourers, are engaged in this work when they are free after harvesting paddy, they said.
Jobayer Hassan of Baneswar village, a wholesaler, said he buys the baskets from the local weavers and supplies it to different markets in Rajshahi, Bagha, Charghat, Kansat and Nawhata as the item has high demand, especially during the mango and litchi season.
Bamboo container for carrying vermicelli, which is locally known as shemai, has become popular in the region during the last 10 to 15 years. “During the month of Ramadan, we had an order for Tk 60,000 to supply shemai- carriers to the nearby district towns and other parts of the division,” says one craftsman, Golam Mostofa from Godagari.
Indeed, students of various schools get involved during the peak season in helping their parents to fill the many orders from shemai makers.
