Handmade muri in high demand during Ramadan

Production of puffed rice (muri) has traditionally been done by hand in rural areas of the country. It is produced on a huge commercial scale nowadays, and is a vital part of the economy.

Dear readers, I welcome you all to read my article dealing with economic impact of muri, especially in the holy month of Ramadan.

In Bangladesh, a country with a population of 16 crores, there are around 3.5 crores Muslim families. If they consume one kg of muri during the month of Ramadan, it adds up to 3.5 crore kgs, which is about 350 tonnes. If the price is Tk 50 per kg, then the total amount people spend on muri is around Tk 1,750 crore, only during Ramadan month. This clearly shows the economic significance of muri. This highly popular food item is consumed throughout the year as well.

A few days ago, I went to Jhalakathi. This region has a long heritage of producing muri by hand. I went to a farmer's house to see how the hands work like machines to produce pure muri. Amazing it was! The experience was something really out of the world.

I had a brief chat with farmer Abdur Rahman from Jhalakathi's Nalchhiti.

“My subsistence comes from muri and these hands of mine are the only means to make it. I and my wife can make two maunds of muri every day,” Abdur Rahman said. Incredible, isn't it?

These two, like many others, work like robots, and there is no doubt about the purity and quality.

Dear readers, people of Rajakhali, Dapdapia, Timirkathi, Bharatkathi, Jurkathi, Goalkathi, Charadi, Bakhorkathi, Rabnahat and Kumarkhali villages in Nalchhiti upazila's Dapdapia union make muri round the year. Their handmade muri is famous throughout the country.

I went to farmer Babul Khan's home in Timirkathi. People work round the clock in shifts to produce quality muri here. The sound of the puffed rice is so silky, and sometimes it seems like a tune or a rhythm -- yes, it's like a musical composition.

Although the weather was hot and the people working there were really busy, they were super hosts. They were so cordial and friendly to me. Before I left Babul's home, he gave me muri-chanachur; the best I've ever tasted.

Commercial production of muri has expanded quite greatly in the villages of Nalchhiti. A farmer named Bujruk Khan played an immense role in the extension of quality muri production in the region. He lives in Timirkathi village.

“I have been involved with traditional muri production for a long time and many people have changed their lives following my footsteps,” Burjuk said. “We use a special kind of a rice called Nakhuchi to produce handmade muri,” he added.

Then, I went to Halim Hawlader's house in another village of Nalchhiti. “I'm doing pretty well. I don't lead a luxurious life, but I can easily meet my basic needs,” said Halim..

Like the ten ideal villages for producing muri, there are a couple of ideal markets for selling muri; one is Boithakata situated in Pirojpur.

I went there to see how the quality muri gets sold.

Most of the muri sold here is made from the special local variety of rice, Nakhuchi. Muri produced across the country is now being exported, mainly to Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, England, Germany, Belgium, France and Singapore.

There is great demand for the traditional muri among the Bangladeshi expatriates. Even people from other countries consume Bangladeshi muri.

Dear readers, I request you wholeheartedly to become more conscious about consuming safe food. In this holy month, traders should also focus on selling good quality and pure muri to their customers.

In the end, my heartfelt greetings to all of you for the holy month of Ramadan.