Rats' deposit their seasonal earning
During the harvesting period, a good number of people, especially kids from ultra poor families, are seen moving in fields in search of rat holes to dig out paddy deposited by the rodents.
“Rats deposit paddy in their nests, and we collect it after digging,” said Nur Alam, 11, son of Jamilur Rahman at Uttar Saptana village in Lalmonirhat Sadar.
“From each nest, we collect 5-10 kg of paddy. A team comprising 3-4 members can dig 5-7 nests daily,” he added.
"Sometimes we have to walk 2-3 kilometres in search of rat holes as they are not always found easily. Sometimes we kill rats when they are found in the holes. Collecting paddy from rats' nests is also our hobby," said Misty Akhter, 10, daughter of Mobarok Hossain of the village.
“My father also collects paddy from rats' nests,” said Hamidul Islam, 9, son of Hasanul Islam at the village.
Hamidul Islam, 42, another local, said he has been doing the job for the last 15 years.
“We are ultra poor people. I have no farmland but I have paddy at home during this time as I can collect 40-50 kg of paddy from rats' nests daily. I do this work for around a month every harvesting season,” he said.
“Our children also go to the paddy field for collecting the crop from rats' nests during harvesting as their annual examinations are over,” said said Jamilur Rahman, 46, of Uttar Saptana village in Lalmonirhat Sadar.
Farmer Shamsul Islam, 55, at Fulgachh village in Lalmonirhat Sadar said rats do harm by taking away huge paddy to their nests, but the matter brings luck to landless people as they collect it by digging.
Enamul Haque, agriculture officer in Lalmonirhat Sadar, said a good number of poor people and their kids are seen in the harvested paddy fields for collecting the crop from rats' nests during this season.
Rats snatch away paddy from farmers' field for their future, but their future is snatched away by poor people, he said jokingly.
Comments