Slaughtering instruments see hot sale ahead of Eid fiesta

Blacksmiths and businessmen selling slaughtering instruments are passing their busiest time as people prepare for a holy fiesta. Myriad sacrificial animals will be slaughtered on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha.
Market sources said the sales of these slaughtering and meat-processing tools have now increased significantly.
Makeshift and regular cattle markets are also abuzz now, as only five days are left for the ceremony to be observed on October 6.
During spot visits, blacksmiths and slaughtering accessories dealers were found in a hurry catering orders from permanent and temporary shops.
Pankaj Karmakar, a blacksmith at Nowabganjbazar in the city's older part, told the FE that he had had an order of 200 knives, locally known as 'chapati', for this Eid-ul-Azha.
"Our trade mainly depends on Eid-ul-Azha, as through the whole year we can hardly survive on little trading," he said.
"Half of the orders have already been delivered and I'm fighting hard to make the rest," he said.
"I've hired one man to fulfill the demand on time," said another in the trade, Ashish.
He said price of per piece of chapati weighing more than 1.2 kgs has been fixed at Tk 450.
The same knives may be sold between Tk 600 and Tk 650 at Gulistan, Gabtoli, Mirpur or New Market by the retailers, he said.
Pankaj, however, said the price has increased due to a surge in the rates of raw materials like iron and coal.
Ashish Mullick, a metalsmith of the same area, said price of per-kg processed iron (locally known as 'pucca loha') surged to Tk200-220 from Tk60-180 last year.
A medium-sized chapati needs 1.0 to 1.2kg iron.
He said a 'boti' (a local knife that needs both hand and leg to use) of less than 1.0 kg in weight is being sold from Tk150-350 up to Tk 1,000 for different weights.
He also pointed out that the transaction is now happening between the blacksmiths and traders and there would be random sale in the last two days before Eid.
Medium-sized axes (needed to process meat from strong bones) sell at Tk 250-1,000 each---the price increased 30-35 per cent compared to normal days.
Vice-president of Nawabganj Bazar Donak Malik Shamity Haji Bahar Uddin said that the number of metalsmiths has been on the decrease due to the flooding of the market by imported and automatic accessories.
He said: "Nearly 60 blacksmith families had lived in our area 30 years back but the number came down to just 10."
Ariful Islam, a meat trader at 'Jinjira' under Keraniganj in Dhaka, the biggest slaughtering accessories market in the country, told the FE that there is no alternative to equipment made by the blacksmiths.
"These are more hardy and sustainable than the imported or automatic ones," he said.
Mr Islam, also a rawhide trader, told the FE that he secured 10 orders for slaughtering cows and goats in Dhanmondi and Mohammadpur areas.
"I need two hardy sacrificial knives and 8 chapatis to cover my orders," he said.
He lamented that the price increased significantly. But, he added, they had no alternative as quality knives are needed to get quality skin.
According to Bangladesh Dokan Malik Samity, an apex platform of country's shop owners, slaughtering equipment worth Tk1.10 billion was traded before Eid-ul-Azha last year across the country.

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