Jhenidah

Puffed rice makers passing busy time ahead of Ramzan

As demand for puffed rice (muri), a popular iftar item, becomes high during fasting month of Ramzan, people, including women, are now passing busy time in making the crispy food in Jhenidah district. About 10,000 rural women have been engaged in making puffed rice this year as businessmen of Jhenidah will supply it to the big cities as well. Sagiron Bibi of Chutlia village in Jhenidah Sadar upazila said, “We make puffed rice in traditional method of mixing salt and water with rice. Then we sieve them in hot sand till they get puffed.”  Islam Sheikh, a trader of Bishoikhali village in sadar upazila, said he is going to supply a large quantity of puffed rice to entire district during Ramzan this year.
He also said each kilogram ‘muri’ is sold at Tk 40- Tk 50 in villages. Local traders procure the organic food and supply it to the capital and other district towns. All traders get Tk 5- Tk 7 profit from each kilogram, he said.
Raza Mia, another businessman of Narayanpur Bazaar, said he alone supplies around 80 to 100 kg puffed rice to Jhenidah markets everyday during Ramzan. Besides, it is supplied to Chuadanga and Kushtia too. He is engaged in this profession for the last 20 years.
Begum, a muri maker of Hatgopalpur village in sadar upazila, said people call this village ‘muri gram’. The price is Tk 52-Tk 63 per kilogram depending on quality and that is quite fair. “I produce 40 kg for myself and the rest I collect from others. Fifty traders of the district sell over 500 maunds of muri everyday.
As there is no chemical in the muri prepared here, health conscious people like it very much, she said. Every day, they earn Tk 200 to Tk 280 each, she added.
Sufia Khatun, another muri maker, said average poor women of the village join them. They have to work in excessive hot atmosphere around the oven. “Sometimes we feel sick and burnt,” she added. They work from dawn to dusk these days as demand for ‘muri’ increases much during this holy month of Ramzan.
Rakib Ul Hasan, a shopkeeper of HSS road in Jhenidah town, said handmade ‘muri’ is more preferred by the people here. He also alleged that a section of dishonest businessmen mix various chemicals like sodium hydro-sulfite to make puffed rice whiter and bigger. They use chemical fertiliser. Sometimes, they mix harmful dye in muri, he added.

Jhenidah

Puffed rice makers passing busy time ahead of Ramzan

As demand for puffed rice (muri), a popular iftar item, becomes high during fasting month of Ramzan, people, including women, are now passing busy time in making the crispy food in Jhenidah district. About 10,000 rural women have been engaged in making puffed rice this year as businessmen of Jhenidah will supply it to the big cities as well. Sagiron Bibi of Chutlia village in Jhenidah Sadar upazila said, We make puffed rice in traditional method of mixing salt and water with rice. Then we sieve them in hot sand till they get puffed. Islam Sheikh, a trader of Bishoikhali village in sadar upazila, said he is going to supply a large quantity of puffed rice to entire district during Ramzan this year. He also said each kilogram muri is sold at Tk 40- Tk 50 in villages. Local traders procure the organic food and supply it to the capital and other district towns. All traders get Tk 5- Tk 7 profit from each kilogram, he said. Raza Mia, another businessman of Narayanpur Bazaar, said he alone supplies around 80 to 100 kg puffed rice to Jhenidah markets everyday during Ramzan. Besides, it is supplied to Chuadanga and Kushtia too. He is engaged in this profession for the last 20 years. Begum, a muri maker of Hatgopalpur village in sadar upazila, said people call this village muri gram. The price is Tk 52-Tk 63 per kilogram depending on quality and that is quite fair. I produce 40 kg for myself and the rest I collect from others. Fifty traders of the district sell over 500 maunds of muri everyday. As there is no chemical in the muri prepared here, health conscious people like it very much, she said. Every day, they earn Tk 200 to Tk 280 each, she added. Sufia Khatun, another muri maker, said average poor women of the village join them. They have to work in excessive hot atmosphere around the oven. Sometimes we feel sick and burnt, she added. They work from dawn to dusk these days as demand for muri increases much during this holy month of Ramzan. Rakib Ul Hasan, a shopkeeper of HSS road in Jhenidah town, said handmade muri is more preferred by the people here. He also alleged that a section of dishonest businessmen mix various chemicals like sodium hydro-sulfite to make puffed rice whiter and bigger. They use chemical fertiliser. Sometimes, they mix harmful dye in muri, he added.