Over 40,000 ethnic residents of Tarash upazila under Sirajganj district are managing daily family expenditure by making brooms with Kashful or catkin over the last two months.
They collect the raw material from the basin of mighty Jamuna River during the dry season with the assistance of feeble women and adolescent members of the family round the clock. They generally remain themselves jobless from August to November as all agriculture based work has been suspended.
Local people said, the vast ethnic community, who live in the government own land, from the different villages of the upazila prepare the bounce with the yarn and needle. They have already changed the socio economic condition doing the job, they added.
"I prepare fifty to sixty bounces each week spending Tk only 500 and sold them in the retail market with peddle ring from village to village with Tk 2500," said bounce artisan Taruni Das,34, at Dattobari village under the upazila. He also said, "I sell them to the different district mitigating the local demand with handsome money."
Artisan Bian Rany Das, 45, at Dattobari village under the upazila said, she was suffering much taking her four family members before doing the job. Now, she has brought the somehow solvency and bring smile to his husband and two sons as the business helps her indescribable, she added.
"I have bought 120 bounce from the artisan with Tk 18,000 and sold them to the customers with Tk 3800," said wholesaler Manik Tarony Das. He also said, "I get much profit from the business in the idle time."
General Secretary of Uraw foundation Professor Jogendranth Toppo said, they have no own land rather they live in the others land. They have been provided government support to run the business, he added.
