Jhenidah

High price of coal hits blacksmiths

 “We can not purchase coal this season as its price has jumped to Tk 50 to Tk 60 per kilogram which was Tk 30 to Tk 35 per kilogram last year, besides, price of iron has also increased this year, it was Tk 80 to Tk 85 per kilogram previous year but this year it is selling at Tk 120 to Tk 130 per kilogram. It really hampers our production causing the production cost to increase” said Bhupen Karmokar, a blacksmith. Biren Karmokar, a blacksmith of Shailkupa upazila said ‘During  normal days we earn Tk 240 to Tk 300. But ahead of Eid-ul Azha, our earnings shoot up. We are charging  Tk 100 to Tk 500 per piece for a dao, per knives  Tk 40 to Tk 400, per chapatti rate is Tk 300 to Tk 2,000 per piece.’ ‘It totally depends on the weight of iron.’ Three to four decades ago, the profession of blacksmiths was a very profitable. At that time, there was widespread demand for iron- and steel-made tools,, but now-a-days they are passing a very distress life.
A sixty year old Nitto Kumar of Jhenidah Notun Haat Khola said blacksmiths make indispensable household tools and agricultural appliances like saw, spade, cleaver, yoke, chopper, axe, knife, crowbar, chisel, hammer, shovel, blade, hook, mallet, punch, nail, hoe, sickle, pickaxe etc meeting the demands of people through the year but due to introduction of mechanical ploughs, tractors or power tillers, and mechanised vehicles and machine-driven harvesters, the use of the traditional tools has been obliterated. According to Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC), Jhenidah office, there were over 500 blacksmiths in the district last 44 years ago but now their number has come down to around 300.
The office also added, there are two types of blacksmiths in Jhenidah. There are professional and seasonal blacksmith. Professional blacksmiths are doing the business through the whole year and seasonal are doing business only before the Eid-Ul-Azha or winter season.
In Noakhali:  Blacksmiths are passing busy time ahead of Eid –ul Azha but their profit has decreased as the price of coal has increased manifold this year. This correspondent on September  6, visited different haats and bazaars,in the district and saw that blacksmiths were busy making diffierent iron tools for slicing flesh of sacrificial animals during the Eid. Blacksmith Arjun Karmokar of Golabaria in  Chowmohani town said a bag of coal weighing 50 kg costs Tk 2,200 while last year it  was  Tk 600. As a result, hundreds of blacksmiths who used to earn their livelihood now find difficult to run their families with the limited income. Some of them have now switched over to other jobs, he added.  Another blacksmith Ghosh of Sonapur said due to increase in the prices of coal, iron and  labour their earning are very poor this year, but they are getting huge orders. He sold a big chopper for Tk 800  and another at Tk 900 recnetly. A small size machete at Tk 500 and local knives at Tk 100 to Tk 120.

 

Jhenidah

High price of coal hits blacksmiths

We can not purchase coal this season as its price has jumped to Tk 50 to Tk 60 per kilogram which was Tk 30 to Tk 35 per kilogram last year, besides, price of iron has also increased this year, it was Tk 80 to Tk 85 per kilogram previous year but this year it is selling at Tk 120 to Tk 130 per kilogram. It really hampers our production causing the production cost to increase said Bhupen Karmokar, a blacksmith. Biren Karmokar, a blacksmith of Shailkupa upazila said During normal days we earn Tk 240 to Tk 300. But ahead of Eid-ul Azha, our earnings shoot up. We are charging Tk 100 to Tk 500 per piece for a dao, per knives Tk 40 to Tk 400, per chapatti rate is Tk 300 to Tk 2,000 per piece. It totally depends on the weight of iron. Three to four decades ago, the profession of blacksmiths was a very profitable. At that time, there was widespread demand for iron- and steel-made tools,, but now-a-days they are passing a very distress life. A sixty year old Nitto Kumar of Jhenidah Notun Haat Khola said blacksmiths make indispensable household tools and agricultural appliances like saw, spade, cleaver, yoke, chopper, axe, knife, crowbar, chisel, hammer, shovel, blade, hook, mallet, punch, nail, hoe, sickle, pickaxe etc meeting the demands of people through the year but due to introduction of mechanical ploughs, tractors or power tillers, and mechanised vehicles and machine-driven harvesters, the use of the traditional tools has been obliterated. According to Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC), Jhenidah office, there were over 500 blacksmiths in the district last 44 years ago but now their number has come down to around 300. The office also added, there are two types of blacksmiths in Jhenidah. There are professional and seasonal blacksmith. Professional blacksmiths are doing the business through the whole year and seasonal are doing business only before the Eid-Ul-Azha or winter season. In Noakhali: Blacksmiths are passing busy time ahead of Eid ul Azha but their profit has decreased as the price of coal has increased manifold this year. This correspondent on September 6, visited different haats and bazaars,in the district and saw that blacksmiths were busy making diffierent iron tools for slicing flesh of sacrificial animals during the Eid. Blacksmith Arjun Karmokar of Golabaria in Chowmohani town said a bag of coal weighing 50 kg costs Tk 2,200 while last year it was Tk 600. As a result, hundreds of blacksmiths who used to earn their livelihood now find difficult to run their families with the limited income. Some of them have now switched over to other jobs, he added. Another blacksmith Ghosh of Sonapur said due to increase in the prices of coal, iron and labour their earning are very poor this year, but they are getting huge orders. He sold a big chopper for Tk 800 and another at Tk 900 recnetly. A small size machete at Tk 500 and local knives at Tk 100 to Tk 120.