Blacksmiths of Durgapur, Puthia getting busy as Eid nears

RAJSHAHI, Aug 28: Blacksmiths of Durgapur and Puthia upazilas of the district were spending busy time by making and sharpening various types of household and butcher's weapons including knives, hasua, chapati, dao, boti and axes. With the approaching Eid-ul-Azha, the blacksmiths of the upazilas were working round the clock to supply the ordered items of those household weapons to the customers. Customers of those weapons informed, during the Eid a large number of animals are sacrificed in every village of the upazila every year. As a result, they need sharp knives, dao, axes, hasua, boti and other weapons to slaughter, skin, and process meat.
Boloram Karmaker and Babul Karmaker at Durgapur Muncipal area informed, they remained almost idle all the year excepting a month before the Eid-ul-Azha. He further said, due to scarcity of quality metal, blacksmiths of the upazila were failing to produce best quality knives and other sharp weapons needed to be used during Eid. Based on quality of metal and the size of knives and other sharp weapons, they were charging Tk 30 to Tk 70 for burning and sharpening of a weapon whereas they were selling a set of dao for Taka 350, a Hasua at Taka 180, small knife at Tk 50, Boti at Tk 200 and Chapati at Tk 250 to Tk 400 based on size and quality.
Nityabnanda Karmaker at Baneswar Hat informed, the machine made sharp weapons including knife, hasua, boti and dao have stormed the markets. Though those machine made weapons look bright and handy, those were low in quality but customers were preferring to purchase those sharp weapons because of their showy finishing and cheap price.
Shariful Islam, a customer who was visiting Baneswar haat for purchasing materials for slaughtering, fleecing and processing of sacrificial animals informed, since the Eid was nearing, he with his friends came to the haat to purchase sharp weapons. He said, the price of sharp weapons were higher this year than those of previous years. In addition to iron made knives and dao, steel made weapons were in good demand to the customers.
More than 200 blacksmiths were engaged in selling various types of sharp weapons and sharpening of those weapons at various haats and markets of the upazilas.
Milon Karmaker (45) at Kanapara bazaar under Durgapur upazila informed, due to high price of raw materials like iron and coal, many blacksmiths of the upazila have changed their professions. He added, they almost remained unemployed except the month of Eid-ul-Azha. Since he could not change his ancestral profession, he is somehow stick to it facing all odds and poverty. He also said, there are hundreds of organisations who arrange regular training and loan for various professionals but none of such organisation come forward to train any blacksmith and to grant them loan for develop their profession. In this connection he mentioned, by getting training, a blacksmith would produce export quality material and thus help develop the country by exporting those materials abroad.
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