Blacksmiths battling against time making cleavers, knives

Several hundred blacksmiths across the district and adjoining areas are passing a very busy time making and sharpening meat cutting tools and different types of knives ahead of Eid-ul-Azha, the second largest religious festival of the Muslim community.

Visiting some blacksmiths shops at Vadai village under Aditmari upazila and some other in sadar upazila, this correspondent found the artisans all busy making fresh meat cutting tools suitable for slaughtering animals during the upcoming Eid.

Talking to the FE correspondent, Kanteshwar Barmon, a blacksmith of Vadai village, said that costs of fresh iron and coal have risen; so they have to make a new cutting tool with marginal profit. There are five labourers working all day to make various tools in his shop. Mainly he is a wholesaler. He takes order from different traders of Cumilla, Chandpur, Noakhali and some other parts of the country round the year.

But with the high demand before Eid, they are now making tools for sending to various traders of the country. Rajendro, a labourer, said that blacksmithing is very much laborious job. He can earn Tk800-1000 a day. A small-sized knife which is used for household works is being sold at Tk200 to 250 and a medium-sized butcher's knife is being sold at Tk 500 to 1200 based on the size, weight and iron quality.

Butchers' tools are especially made with heavy iron-like spring or plate of trucks; so costs of them are higher than other household tools.

Artisan Romjan Ali of sadar upazila said that the rush begins about a month ahead of Eid and continues till the last night of the festival.

Many are coming to repair or sharpen their old knives and other cutting tools. The demand is normally two or three times higher than usual volume. Blacksmiths are also equally busy from dawn till late night, meeting the surge of demand for knives, cleavers and other slaughtering tools.

While asked about the threat of their profession, an artisan said, "Many of

us are poor. We don't have enough capital to run our profession smoothly. If the government sanctions bank loan as capital that would help us substantially to continue the ancestral profession."

ahasnathrana@yahoo.com