Business picks up for boat makers

The century-old Bhanga Boat Market in Faridpur's Bhanga municipality is going through a busy time amid rise in demand for boats in monsoon.

Every year since the British era, the famed market opens twice a week on Mondays and Fridays between June and September, in Chiladharchar area on the bank of Kumar river near Dhaka-Barishal Highway.

Hundreds of boat makers, sellers and buyers from Faridpur, Madaripur, Gopalganj and other neighbouring districts gather at the market to buy and sell boats for communication in riverine areas of the country's southern region, said Hafizul Mia, a leaseholder of the market.

Visiting the boat market recently, this correspondent saw at least 200 boats of different sizes were on sale.

Many people came to the market as visitors alongside buyers and sellers who were engaged in bargaining.

"I have made 30 boats with help of an assistant in last one month. Today, I brought three boats to this market, and sold two of those at Tk 5,000 each," said Goutam Mandol, 50, a boat-maker from Brahmapara village under Bhanga upazila.

Babul Mandol, 42, another boat-maker from the same area, said their boats are made from Raintree and Chambal wood at a cost of around Tk 4,000-4,200 each.

Jagadish Mandol, 69, of Azimnagar area, said, "I have been selling boats in this boat market for last 45 years. Even though the demand for boats is no longer like it was before, I continued to remain engaged in my ancestral profession."

Ratan Sheikh, 37, of Dangarpara village under Bhanga upazila, came to the market to zzbuy a boat. "I am a jute cultivator. I needed a boat to transport my jute from the cropland, and bought one for Tk 6,000," he said.

Amir Khan, 50, a boat trader in the market, said he purchases boats from Barishal and sells those in the market for Tk 5,500-7,500 each. He makes a profit of Tk 300-500 from each boat.

"The boat market becomes busy during monsoon, but not as much as it used to be in its heyday. Once I could sell 15-20 boats on a single day, but now it is tough to sell even half the number," he added.