Many people in rural areas of the district are passing busy days making bamboo baskets, locally called jhuri or tukri, as the item is widely used for safe packing of mangoes to send it to different areas of the country from the famous mango producing district.

The trade serves as an additional income source for many poor and lower middle class rural people.

"I can make two big sized jhuris with bamboo splits in a day and each sells for Tk 300. I will be engaged in the work for over two months and earn around Tk 30,000," said Imran Ali of Ghorapakhia village in Sadar upazila.

Rabiul Islam of neighbouring Bohrom village said he makes small baskets with bamboo splits round the year and sells those at Tk 55 each. He earns over Tk 10 thousand in a month.

Over 150 people of the two villages, mostly farm labourers, are engaged in this work when they are free after harvesting paddy, they said.

However, many people left their former profession of bamboo basket making during the last several years as cases made of plastic are more popular now.

Shafiqul Islam of Ghorapakhia village, a wholesaler, said he buys the baskets from the local weavers and supplies it to different markets in Chapainawabganj, Baniswar in Rajshahi and Iswardi in Pabna as the item has high demand, especially during the mango season.

"I will earn over Tk 2 lakh by selling baskets during this season. Mangoes carried in bamboo made baskets remain safer than those in plastic cases," he said.

People of Moharajpur in Sadar upazila and Abbas Bazar in Shibganj upazila also make baskets that are used for carrying mango.

They urged the authorities concerned to arrange easy term loan to save the traditional business.

"I use bamboo baskets for safe packing of mangoes that are sent to different districts. Many people like it as quality and taste of mangoes remain unaffected when carried in bamboo baskets. I use over 100 baskets daily during the mango season," said trader Hasan Al Sadi.

Abdul Wahed, president of Chapainawabganj mango traders association, said around 30 percent of mango traders use bamboo baskets for packing mangoes.

Mangoes are the most important agricultural product in the area that has long tradition of producing around 350 varieties of the popular summer fruit, said agriculturists and growers.

A large number of people are engaged in different jobs, including nursing and harvesting of mangoes, weaving baskets and packing, during the mango season every year.

Monjurul Huda, deputy director of the Department of Agriculture Extension, said 2.40 lakh tonnes of mangoes are expected from 19 lakh mango trees on 26,150 hectares of land in Chapainawabganj district this season.