Mirzaganj Correspondent
Boat makers of Mirzaganj upazila of Patuakhali are spending busy time making new boats during monsoon season. Old boat repair work is also going on in the area. The work of boat craft starts in this upazila before the monsoon every year. At this time, the busyness of the boat craftsmen increase.
During the monsoon season, rivers, canals and water bodies of this upazila become full of water. The crop field is also become submerged. Thus, fishermen in the area use small and big boats for fishing. So the rainy season actually increases the value of the boat in this area.
Visiting Kismat Rampur village of Madhabkhali union, it can be seen that boat builders likeLakshan Gain, Nikhil Gain, Kalu Gain, Mihir Gain, Sidhar Mistry, Lalchan Mistry, Kala Hawladar, Niranjan Gain, Barat Gain, Nirat Gain, Jalil, masum and other veteran boat craftsmen are busy building boats of various sizes. Most of the boats in the upazila are made in this union. They build boats for ages to maintain the continuity of their ancestors.
These boat makers work as carpenters in the village for 6 months of the dry season. When the work season decreases, he makes a living by building boats. Two types of boats are made in the area. Boats of 6 feet to 9 feet in length are sold for two to three thousand Tk and boats of 10 feet to 11 feet in length are sold for three thousand to four thousand Tk. Small boats are more demanded to fishermen in the area.
Bharat Gain, a boat builder, said that in the rainy season, they build boats together with the whole family. Every week from Saturday to Wednesday, 8-10 boats are made by each family. Every Thursday morning, boats are being flocked in the Srimanta River and taken to Kaliganj Bazar in the adjoining Bakerganj Upazila. Farmers and fishermen from different upazilas including Barisal, Nalchiti, Bakerganj, Mirzaganj, Dumki and Baufal came to the market to buy boats. Boats are sold in the market within two to three hours.
Boat sellers of the area in monsoon season go to Kalapara upazila of Patuakhali to sell boats. Fishermen use boats for fishing and other activities in the coastal areas.
Madhabkhali UP Chairman MdMonirul Islam Talukder said most people in rural areas depend on fishing and agriculture. In the rainy season, it is not possible to pick rice from the field boats. Therefore, in order to save this industry, the cooperation of all is needed at the government and private levels.
