Dinghy Noukar Haat, a 50-yr-old tradition

Like every year, the “dinghy noukar haat” in Ghior upazila of Manikganj has gained momentum with the advent of monsoon.

Hundreds of people, particularly those from low-lying areas, are thronging the haat, weekly market, every Wednesday on the bank of Dhaleshwari river near Ghior Government College. 

The sale of dinghy or small boats here every monsoon is a 50-year-old tradition, said Ramprasad Sarker Dipu of Gopalganj village of Ghior upazila.

“People of different professions come here, children also come to see it and the area turns into a land of merriment during the monsoon,” said Ramprasad, a journalist.

Boat is the only medium of commuting for the residents of Harirampur, Shivalaya, Ghior, Daulatpur and Saturia upazilas of Manikganj. These low-lying areas go under water every monsoon. Almost every family here owns a boat.

“Croplands, houses everything gets submerged in monsoon. We need a boat to go to work, to send our children to school,” said Farid Molla of Kusta village of Ghior.

“These boats last for one or two seasons. They last longer if covered with coal-tar. Once they become unusable, we make firewood of them,” he told this paper.

Farid purchased an 11-feet-long boat made of Shimul wood at Tk 3,200 from the haat this season. The price was a bit higher than last year, he observed.

Over a hundred boats are sold from dawn to dusk at the hat covering some three bighas of land. It remains abuzz with sellers and buyers from both inside and outside Manikganj.

Due to the flow of Padma, Jamuna, Dhaleswari, Ichhamati, and Kaliganga through the district, lowlands go under water during monsoon leaving no option for the residents but to buy a boat. Residents of these areas are using boats for decades, according to locals.

Craftsmen are now passing busy hours in making boats. The haat would continue until the end of monsoon.

Gouranga Kumar Ghosh, the leaseholder of the boat market, said, “This haat is famous for sale of quality boats. The craftsmen and traders come here from Tangail, Sirajganj, and even from Dhaka. Boats here are sold at fair prices.”

Mahogoni, koroi, mango, chambal, raintree wood etc are used to make the 15 to 20 feet long boats. The price ranges from Tk 2,000 to Tk 7,000 depending on size and quality, said Gouranga.

Boats made in Nagarpur of Tangail, Chouhali of Sirajganj, and Dhamrai-Savar of Dhaka are put on sale at the traditional haat, said, Ranjit Biswas, a trader.