Staff Reporter :
The blacksmiths are passing busy times making sharp tools to be used for slaughtering sacrificial animals to process the meat at the different markets across the country.
A good number of people are approaching blacksmiths for machetes, choppers, knives and other iron-made tools like axe. The shops are selling mostly new tools, but at the same time people are repairing and sharpening the old ones.
Blacksmiths across the country including eight municipalities and 13 Upazilas of Kishoreganj are now spending busy days in manufacturing the items used for cattle slaughtering ahead of holy Eid-ul-Adha.
According to sources, the blacksmith profession was very profitable four to five decades ago when there was tremendous demand for iron and steel-made tools including sharp edged ploughs spikes on the wheels of cattle-driven cart, knives, sickles, choppers and others such tools.
But nowadays, due to introduction of mechanical ploughs, tractors or power tillers, machanised vehicles and machine-driven harvesters, the use of those age old iron or steel tools have been obliterated. As a result, thousands of blacksmiths who used to earn their livelihood by making those indigenous tools for centuries are now switching to other professions. A good number of blacksmiths said that they can’t expand their business due to the shortage of fund.
We do not want to abdicate our profession. If the government introduces loan facility, it would be helpful for us, they added .According to Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC), Kishoreganj office and other sources, there were over 600 blacksmiths in the district 40-45 years ago, but now their number has come down to around 400.
.Blacksmiths Habibul and Abdul Mannan Katiarchar under Kishoreganj Sadar said only this time in the year the demand of their products increases centering Eid-ul-Adha”
However, the scenario of blacksmith shops during the holy Eid-ul-Azha changed though most of them remained almost jobless during other months.
Centering the Eid, they remain extremely busy in making knives, chopper and other tools at their smithies.
At that time the knife sharpers are seen to move from door to door to sharpen knives and other cutting tools such hastiness of the blacksmith and knief sharpeners will continue till the night before the Eid-ul-Azha.
