Cox’s Bazar Correspondent :
Blacksmiths here are working round the clock to make tools for sacrificing animals during the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha and deliver them to customers in time.
Especially, during two months after the Eid-ul-Fitr, they remain busy, and the remaining days of the year they can hardly earn their livelihood.
The blacksmiths collect broken springs of vehicles and iron of scrap ships as raw materials for making the tools. While visiting Chaul Bazaar and Airport Road recently, it was found that the blacksmiths have decorated their smithies with new tools to attract buyers. Some buyers are purchasing new tools while some are sharpening their old ones.
Some blacksmiths said, in previous years, coal, one of the raw materials for making the tools, was selling at Tk 10-12 per foot, while the same is selling at Tk 80-90 this year. But, the price of iron is comparatively low as it is easily available from scrap ships.
They said the salary of the labourers has increased now and during the two peak months they employ labourers with double salary. They generally sell the tools at Tk 450 per kg, but during the two months the price doubles and they get handsome profit, the blacksmiths said.But, their profession does not get much applause in the society though it requires great skill to accomplish the works. Many professions have their own organisations to press forward different problems related to their jobs, but they have not such organisations in this connection. They alleged that they face disturbance from the local extortionists, which mars the prospect of their profession.
Shimul Karmaker of Chaul Bazaar expressed with grief that there are no government or private initiatives to turn their profession into a bigger one.
Blacksmiths here are working round the clock to make tools for sacrificing animals during the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha and deliver them to customers in time.
Especially, during two months after the Eid-ul-Fitr, they remain busy, and the remaining days of the year they can hardly earn their livelihood.
The blacksmiths collect broken springs of vehicles and iron of scrap ships as raw materials for making the tools. While visiting Chaul Bazaar and Airport Road recently, it was found that the blacksmiths have decorated their smithies with new tools to attract buyers. Some buyers are purchasing new tools while some are sharpening their old ones.
Some blacksmiths said, in previous years, coal, one of the raw materials for making the tools, was selling at Tk 10-12 per foot, while the same is selling at Tk 80-90 this year. But, the price of iron is comparatively low as it is easily available from scrap ships.
They said the salary of the labourers has increased now and during the two peak months they employ labourers with double salary. They generally sell the tools at Tk 450 per kg, but during the two months the price doubles and they get handsome profit, the blacksmiths said.But, their profession does not get much applause in the society though it requires great skill to accomplish the works. Many professions have their own organisations to press forward different problems related to their jobs, but they have not such organisations in this connection. They alleged that they face disturbance from the local extortionists, which mars the prospect of their profession.
Shimul Karmaker of Chaul Bazaar expressed with grief that there are no government or private initiatives to turn their profession into a bigger one.
