Bamboo fishing gear improving livelihood of Faridpur villagers

FARIDPUR, June 25 (UNB): With the arrival of monsoon residents of three upazilas in the district have become busy producing and selling bamboo-made fishing gear, locally called 'Dowari'.

Fishing gear making and selling are the main source of livelihood during the rainy season for the poor people living in the vicinity of the Padma river as over 500 people are earning their butter and bread with it.

A village at Gazirtek union in Charbhadrason upazila is now known as 'Dowari Potti' for making the fishing trap.

Besides, more than 200 people of other villages of the upazila, including Charayoddha, Bancharam Biswasdangi, Dhalar Par, Arazkhan Dangi, Intaz Mollah Dangi, Amin Khan Dangi and Charsalehpur are engaged in the profession.

Like Charbhadrason, several hundred people of different villages in Sadarpur and Alfadanga uapzilas are also doing the business.

Dheukhali union council Chairman of Sadarpur upazila Omar Faruk Bepari said hundreds of people remain busy for three months during monsoon in making and selling the fishing trap as the demand of the local fishing gear remains low during the other time of the year.

"Villagers are becoming self-reliant by earning money with the fishing gear making", he added.

During a visit to a Dowari haat at Charhajiganj on the bank of the Padma, this correspondent found different sizes of fishing gear were being sold.

One hundred small fishing gears were selling at Tk 5,500 while one hundred large at Tk 20,000.

Wholesalers from different areas, visiting the market, buy the fishing traps from the market, and these are transported to different districts, including Dhaka, Rajbari, Sirajganj and others.

Aslam, a Dowari buyer, told the news agency that the demand of the fishing trap goes up in the rainy season.

"Fishermen run their houses by catching fish using the gear and selling them in the market", he added.

Sheken Sheikh, a Dowari maker, said his family spends their all day long in making these traps. They collect bamboos from the garden or buy them from the market.

Rahim Sheikh, a resident of Dowari Potti, told the news agency that from one large bamboo at least four gears can be made and the price of each gear is Tk 200 while a bamboo costs upto Tk 200 to Tk 300.

Trader Jamal Molla, who came to Dowari Haat at Charhajiganj from Dhaka said the quality of the fishing gear made in Faridpur is better for which its demand is also high.

Different varieties of fish, including shrimp, are caught using these traps, he added.

Mentioning that many people's income is now dependent on this profession during the season, Charbhadrasan upazila chairman AGM Badal Amin said the business has the potential to be expanded with government support.