The famous challan beel gets back its high tide in the rainy season. After a while it will not be possible to move without the boat. Fishermen are busy at this time in Chalan Beel, famous for its native fish. Demand for fishing equipment and boats has increased. That is why the seasonal artisans of Tarash in Sirajganj are busy making boats and boats, one of the tools of fishing.
Fishermen are busy in Chalanbil for three-four months of the monsoon season. Fishermen are not left out. Fishing falls in the remote areas of Chalon-sur-Sane.
Craftsmen make chai at home in the beel area. Especially in Charanbil, Dharabarisha, Chalnali, Charkadaha, Udbaria, Poyalshura, Sonabaju, Maria of Baraigram Upazila, Tarash, Ullapara, Chatmohar of Pabna and many other villages of Changbari of Charanbil. For many years, they have been making a living by making tea.
The Salma-Karim couple, a craftsman from Shidhuli village, said that bamboo funnels are needed to make bamboo, palm dakur, da, kaste and fiber. First, palm fronds need to be soaked in water for 7 to 8 days. Later, the pigs were scattered and the fibers were spread. Fiber and bamboo nails are used for barricades. Basically working on bamboo is more convenient. So Tolla bamboo also has to be soaked in water. The wet bamboo was dried in the sun and then cut into pieces with the smoke of making boats and canoes in Da Chalanbil.
In the meantime, 20 to 25 hats including Chanchkair, Kachikata, Chaikola, Handial, Naogaon, Mirzapur and Salanga have been filled with newly built new huts. However, the price of bamboo has also gone up due to the increase in the price of bamboo, said Mohan Das (45), an artisan of bhangura in Pabna.Meanwhile, Abu Jafar, 55, a farmer from Nadosaidpur village, who came to Naogaon Hat in Tarash, said that in the current market, each normal-sized cane is being sold at Rs 300 to 350 and large cane at Rs 1,100 to 1,300.
There is a demand for chai made in Chalanbil area as well as in other parts of the country. Wholesalers from Noakhali, Mymensingh, Gaibandha and other places are buying it.
Rahman, a trader who buys chai from Bhangura in Pabna, said, "I buy chai, kholsun, dhundi, bhair, bitti and other kinds of fishing equipment made in Chalanbil area from Naogaon in Tarash, Saikola in Chatmohar, Chanchkair in Gurudaspur and Nayabazar Hat."
In this regard, Tarash Upazila Fisheries Officer Mashgul Azad said that fishing equipment worth lakhs of rupees is sold in Chalanbil area every year during the monsoon season.If you go to different areas, you can see the smoke of boat making. Besides, fishermen are now busy weaving nets. At that time boats and nets were their only means of earning.
Joynal, a boat maker from Naogaon village in the upazila, said, “Now we have to keep busy, small and big boats of different sizes are made according to the demand of the fishermen. The boats are being sold at Tk 8,000 to Tk 10,000 depending on the size.
Nab Kumar Sutradhar of Mistriripara said, "I have been involved in boat building since I was young. Earlier boats were made of good quality wood. Now more boats are made with Shimul, Mango, Kadai and Acacia.
In addition to wood, kerosene, tar, thorns, spikes, leaves, etc. are used to make the boat, which keeps the boat durable for a long time.