A good number of people at Mahtabpur village under Lamakazi union in Biswanath upazila have been able to develop the standard of their livelihood through dried fish business.
The business centring dried fish which has huge demand in the domestic market has created wide employment opportunity for many people of Mahtabpur.
During visit to the village recently, this correspondent found dried fish traders and the workers employed by them passing very busy time.
They were either collecting fishes from arats (wholesale fish markets) or drying those under the open sky or loading dried fishes onto vehicles to transport those to Sylhet city.
Some traders said dried fish production begins in November and it continues till pre-monsoon period.
Tengra and Puti are among the main varieties of dried fish, they added.
Asked about the number of dried fish traders at the village, locals put the figure at 40 and said the traders employed some 200 workers for processing dried fish.
They added that an amount of Tk 2 lakh is provided to the workers per month.
Helal Ahmed, who started dried fish business this year, said investing Tk five lakh in the business, he has already made profit of Tk one lakh.
Terming dried fish business profitable, another trader Awal said he has never faced financial losses since he started the business a few years back.
He mentioned that on an average, he is making profit of Tk two lakh every year.
Asked about dried fish markets, he said after processing fishes, they send those to large ‘shutki’ (dried fish) market in Charerpar area of Sylhet from where it is supplied to different parts of the country including the capital.
Shahidur Rahman, who remains engaged in dried fish processing as a worker, said he maintains his family with the money he earns from his work.
Like him, many people have achieved self-reliance through dried fish business.
Shahidur also said dried fish business has changed the picture of the area.
Woman worker Monwara Begum said ‘shutki’ business has brought happiness in her family, which faced financial hardship once.
Lamakazi union parishad chairman Kabir Hossain Dhola Miah said the business has provided jobs to many youths due to which they could get rid of the curse of unemployment.
