Polo earns them extra bucks

After finishing her regular household chores every morning housewife Momayna Sheikh, 46, does not sit idle, instead, she starts making polo, a local fishing gear, at her courtyard.

It is not only Momayna, at least 40 families at Bokail village in Faridpur Sadar upazila engaged in the same job alongside their regular profession.

Bokail village is locally known as polo village. Most of the women of the 40 families of the village are engaged in polo making for years.

Sometimes, male members and their children help them when they have time after their personal work.

“I get up early in the morning and complete my household work first and then start making polo,” said Momayna.

“My grandfather-in-law introduced the job at our village more than 70 years ago,” she added.

She said generally they make two categories of polo, one for wholesale and the other for special orders.

Depending on its size and quality, each polo is sold for Tk 150 to Tk 500 in the local markets, she said, adding, it costs them Tk 80 to Tk 90 to make one polo.

During a recent visit to the village this correspondent saw many women making polo, using bamboo as raw material, on their courtyard.

Momayna said they do not need to go to market to sell their products as vendors collect those from their homes.

Another housewife Rahima Begum, 40, of the village said, “With my husband and children's help I can make 30 to 35 polo in a week.”

Farida Sheikh, 30, another housewife, said, “I make polo because I do not like to pass my time idle.” 

Vendor Akter Mondol, 42, who collects polo from Bokail village, said he collects polo from different houses and sells those at different markets across the district.

Local union parishad Chairman Jahidul Islam said, “People here make polo as it has become a heritage of Bokail village.”