Living by making fishing rod

More than 50 families at Daleshahore village in Sreepur upazila earn their livelihood by making and selling bamboo-made fishing rods.

Visiting the village, one cannot avoid seeing colourful fishing rods almost everywhere.

He will see bundles of fishing rods piled up or lying scattered in the entire village and one of every three families will be seen engaged in burning thin and long bamboos on stoves, a process of making one of the famous fishing tools.

Workers said they use a locally assembled stove, which is run by an air pump, for burning the bamboos.

Mohammad Shamsuddin, one of the fishing rod makers at the village, said he has been engaged in the profession for almost seventeen years now.

“One of my cousins and neighbour Tomij Uddin taught us the method making ideal fishing rods,” Shamsuddin said, adding that prior to departure, Tomij, who is currently working abroad, ran the business for nearly 15 years.

Usually fishing rods are prepared with a special variety of bamboo, popularly known as Tangura, Shamsuddin said, adding that Abdul Mannan and Rubel of the village collect Tangura bamboo from Boldighat of Sreepur, Haluaghat in Mymensingh, Netrakona and Munshiganj and supply those to local fishing rod  makers.

One of the workers Kitab Ali, 35, said he came in the profession about five years ago.

A worker can produce 300 pieces of small or 200 pieces medium or 100 pieces of large sized fishing rods every day, he said, adding that each of the small sized fishing rods is sold at Tk 20, medium sized at Tk 25 and the large one at Tk 35 to the wholesalers.

On an average, a worker gets Tk 4 each for the small ones, Tk 12 for the medium and Tk 18 for the large ones, Kitab said.

Trader Rubel said they collect the fishing rods from the village and supply those to Rajshahi, Natore, Munshiganj, Cumilla and other areas by mini trucks or pickups.

Bormy Union Parishad (UP) Chairman Shamsul Haque Badal said many families in the locality have been earning their livelihoods by making fishing rods for nearly 18 years and people from different areas visit Daleshahore village to see the artistic work.