Sales of different types of sharp instruments, such as knives and traditional kitchen knives, have started picking up in the city ahead of the holy Eid-ul-Azha.
Traders, however, are not yet happy with their business this year, compared to the previous years.
Some of them expressed the hope that the sales might see a significant rise one or two days before the religious festival of the Muslims.
Various sharp instruments are now available in the city markets, including cutter knife, skin-separating knife, machete, local axe and Chinese axe, and pole-chopper.
Cutter knives are selling at Tk450-Tk600 per piece, knives for separating cattle skin at Tk50-Tk120 per piece, machetes at Tk500-Tk900 per piece, local axes at Tk500-Tk650 per piece and Chinese axes at Tk500 per piece, while pole-chopper prices start at Tk 400 per piece.
Tree trunk prices range between Tk 200 and Tk 500 per piece, said traders.
Shariful Islam, a customer, told the FE that he bought a Chinese axe at Tk 500, which was Tk 400-Tk 450 last year.
On an average, the price of these items can increase by up to Tk 50, compared to the previous year, said Md Sumon Ali, a blacksmith who have been selling sharp tools at Karwan Bazar for the last 18 years.
The price of coal, a necessary item for the blacksmiths, has soared due to the rainy session, leading to an increase in the prices of their products, he said.
Some traders said the rainy session and the recent student protest over road accidents have affected the sale of these accessories.
Furthermore, law enforcers have beefed up security measures as a consequence of the demonstration by the students, contributing to low sale of these items to some extent, they observed.
Policemen questioned people at different checkpoints about carrying sharp objects, which created panic among buyers of sharp instruments for slaughtering animals.
A customer also admitted the fear of police harassment, considering the present situation in the capital.
Apart from producing sharp instruments in the smithy, the blacksmiths are also busy in sharpening and repairing old tools.
These items are available at various markets at Karwan Bazar, New Market, Gulshan-1, Chawkbazar, Khilgaon and Mirpur-1 as well as in the city corporation-run markets.
Besides, the accessories are also being sold at the temporary cattle markets set up in the capital ahead of the Eid-ul-Azha.
nsrafsanju@gmail.com