Crunch time for Narail boat makers
During monsoon, when there is water everywhere, people need dinghy or small open boats that are easier for rowing in shallow water by just one person. And the boat craftsmen of Dohar Ramsidhi are specialised in making just that.
As many as 25 families are still holding onto their ancestral trade of boatmaking from wood in the village, under Banshgram union of Narail’s Sadar upazila.
Nasim Sheikh came to the Dohar Ramsidhi boat market from Mirzapur in Kalia upazila. While browsing through boats at the market, he said during monsoon, a dinghy comes in handy to move about, using only one paddle, from one house to another and also for other chores such as transporting crops, fishing or plucking water lily.
The unique village is surrounded by small canals and wetlands such as haors and baors that remain submerged during most parts of the monsoon. Besides, there are many fish enclosures in the region.
Although small wooden boats are still high in demand in the region and people from even surrounding districts come to the village to buy the boats, the boat craftsmen there have been facing severe cash crunch over the past few years.
Continued rise in the price of its key component, wood, has lowered the profit margin of the boat makers, resulting in a shortage of capital that they need to cater to the demand that soars during the monsoon.
There used to be three boat markets in Abalgati in Khulna and Pairoli and Kharia in Narail many years ago, but the one in Dohar Ramsidhi village has been the only surviving boat market in the region over the last ten years, said locals.
On an average, 80 to 90 dinghies are put on sale at the market, held on Wednesdays only, they also said.
Boat craftsman Shishu Sikdar said the earnings they made from sales during monsoon used to be enough for their family throughout the rest of the year, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to survive with the dwindling profit.
Their profit used to be good when they could sell a boat for Tk 4,000 to Tk 4,500 after spending Tk 3,000 on each. But lately, when the demand reaches its peak during the monsoon, they fall short of the demand due to fund shortage. During off-peak season, they do not have any other option but to sell each boat for as low as Tk 3,100.
Many boat makers are going bankrupt after getting loans at high interest rates from local non-government organisations, Shishu said, adding that government organisations like Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) should extend their assistance by introducing low-interest loans for the boat makers.
Susen, another boat maker from the village, said they could keep up with the demand during peak season if they could engage three hired hands on each boat, but now they cannot afford to pay the workers as their profits have been shrinking day by day.
He also hoped that the government would come forward with easy loan facilities for them.
Contacted, ME Mashravi Shams, deputy manager (in Charge) of BSCIC in Narail, said he also came to learn about the financial troubles of boat makers in Dohar Ramsidhi recently and he would draw attention of the higher authorities on the matter.
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