Indigenous foods winning hearts

Growing popularity of food items native to Chittagong Hill Tracts has created an opportunity for indigenous people in the area to become entrepreneurs.

With the world gradually becoming more health conscious, the people of Dhaka and other major cities in the country are increasingly looking for chemical-free organic foods.

"The demand for fruits, vegetables and meats found in hilly areas is very high in the capital," said Subimol Chakma, who runs a shop called Hill Bazar in Dhaka's Mohammadpur.

"After I started the business in 2019, my target market was only the indigenous people living in the city but my products started getting popular among everyone," he added.

Subimol sells a variety of food items from the hilly region, including potatoes, beans, jackfruit, sugarcane, guava, sticky rice, wild spinach and sweet corn.

He also sells fish caught from Kaptai Lake, pork and other meats.

The native of Rangamati buys these items directly from traders in the hilly districts -- Rangamati and Khagrachari -- and brings them to Dhaka by bus, truck or covered van.

"Our major challenge is keeping these items fresh as any prolonged delays during transport could result in those getting spoiled," he said.

Still though, various traders say that challenges remain in running their businesses.

"Although our sales are very high, we make very little profit because of excessive transportation costs," Subimol said.

In addition, many traders of the indigenous community in Dhaka become victims of extortion by local gangs and political groups, he said.

He sought cooperation from Chittagong Hill Tracts Development Board and the Rangamati district council to overcome these challenges.

Subimol is also mulling over whether indigenous traders could form an association so that they could band together in Dhaka under a single platform and help each other out if necessary.

There are several other indigenous food shops in Kazipara and Senapara of Dhaka's Mirpur.

Biply Chakma, who owns Hebang Restaurant in Kazipara, said she started selling fruits and vegetables as well as cooked food items through an online portal in 2016.

After seeing how quickly these items gained popularity, she decided to launch the restaurant in 2018.

"Ensuring food diversity is our top priority. Every day, we try to serve different types of items," added Biply, who hails from Rangamati.

While talking about how she came about starting the business, Biply said that her younger sister was a student of the University of Dhaka.

"She often brought food items from the Chittagong Hill Tracts to distribute among her friends, who loved the taste. Then, an idea came to our mind to sell the food items on a commercial basis," she added.

Another trader Amit Chakma, who owns a shop called Rannye Jum Ghor in Mirpur, said they face considerable customer pressure during the weekly holidays.

"The demand for fruits and vegetables grown in the hilly districts is so high that all of our produces are usually sold out by noon on Fridays and Saturdays," Amit added.

Ajual Bawm, who studies at a private university in Dhaka, said people like him see a reflection of their traditions and culture in these food items.

Besides, indigenous people no longer need to go all the way back home to enjoy these foods since they are now available in the capital, he added.