NAOGAON: Sales of traditional wooden boats have marked a sharp rise in the district for prolonged flooding.
Hundreds of wooden boats are put on display for sale at Samaspara Abadpukur haat under Raninagar upazila on Mondays and Fridays, the weekly haat days.
As the rivers are rising, water has already entered the farmland in different areas of Raninagar and Atrai upazilas of the district.
Fishermen and farmers of the areas are crowding the markets to buy boats for fishing, agricultural work. People of the area are now moving from one place to another by boat.
Abdul Latif, a seller at Samaspara boat market, said, "Customers not only from this district, but also from the Chalan Beel area of Natore come to our market to buy boats of their choice.''
Craftsman Nitai Chandra of Nandalali village under Raninagar upazila said, "We have to spend Tk 3,500 to 4,000 to make a 15-16 feet boat. We sell it at Tk 5,000. Making-cost of bigger boats is high and those are sold at Tk 8,000 to Tk 9,000 per piece.''
"Our sales target is yet to be achieved this year. Sales will go up with the rise in floodwater,'' he added.
Shafiul Islam, a customer from adjacent Mirzapur area, said, "Boat becomes our only mode of transportation during the rainy season every year as our upazila is surrounded by rivers and many other water bodies.''
"Daily activities mostly depend on this watercraft as we rarely see anything around us without water during the monsoon,'' Mr Islam added.
