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Traders have started selling slaughtering equipments in the city markets ahead of the holy Eid-ul-Azha, with almost unchanged the prices than that of the previous year.
Traders expected the sales to get momentum after the city people buying their sacrificial animals. It may start after Friday (today), they said.
During a visit to the city's Karwan Bazar, all necessary sharp instruments, including knives and traditional kitchen knives, were seen displaying for the customers.
Md Samsuddin, an old trader at Karwan Bazar, told the FE that they were not happy with the business yet as a handful of customers just started visiting the market which is much less than that of the previous years.
They, however, expressed the hope that the sales might see a significant rise one or two days before the religious festival scheduled on Monday next.
The sharp instruments like cutter knife, kitchen cutter (Boti), skin-separating knife, machete, local axe and Chinese axe, and pole-chopper are now available in the city markets.
Cutter knives are selling at Tk450-600 per piece, knives for separating cattle skin and for other tasks at Tk50-200 per piece, kitchen knife (Boti) Tk 600 per kilogram (standard) and normal Tk 200 per kg.
Besides, indigenous chopper (Daa) was selling at Tk 300-600 per piece, local axes Tk 250-300 per piece and slaughtering knife at Tk 450-1,000 per piece.
Machetes were selling at Tk 300-500 per piece, small China knife Tk 60-80 and large size Tk 150, Indian machetes Tk 1200, Tk 1700 and Tk 3200 per piece.
Chinese axes were selling at Tk 500 per piece while pole-chopper prices start at Tk 400 per piece. Tree trunk prices range between Tk 200 and Tk 500 per piece, traders said.
A couple was seen buying some sharp instruments said that they came to buy early as they thought there would be a rush in the markets after Friday.
The couple observed that the traders were demanding a little higher price than the previous year, but there is an opportunity to bargain. The couple mainly came to buy kitchen tools.
Md Sohag, a blacksmith who have been selling sharp tools at Karwan Bazar for last 12 years, said that the price of these items remained almost unchanged, excepting very few items those witnessed a little increased of only Tk 50 as compared to the previous year.
A necessary item for the blacksmiths, the price of coal has increased due to the rainy session, leading to an increase in the prices of their products, traders said.
Apart from producing sharp instruments, the blacksmiths are also busy sharpening and repairing the old tools. These items are available at various markets of Karwan Bazar, New Market, Gulshan-1, Chawkbazar, Khilgaon and Mirpur-1 as well as in the city corporation markets.
Besides, the accessories are also being sold at the temporary cattle markets set up in the capital ahead of the Eid-ul-Azha.