Bamboo artisans are expecting a good future as they have remained with making ‘dool’, a kind of bucket for storing paddy, in the wake of increasing demand for these rural items at Sheikhpara and Daspara areas at Bera upazila in Pabna.
It is a kind of bucket made of bamboo and is very useful for storing grain for a longer period of time.
Paddy harvesting will start soon. So, the farmers are buying dools from the market to store paddy. Due to coronavirus and limited transportation, traders from different parts of the country like Rajshahi, Naogaon, Jessore were not able to bring dools in this region. Therefore, the demand for dools increased locally.
Dool’scapacity depends on its size. Usually 10 to 30 maund of paddy and wheat can be kept in each dool depending on the size. The dool is placed in the corner of the porch or on the scaffolding inside the room. Almost all types of grains can be kept in it.
After harvesting the paddy in each season, farmers keep the boiled and dried paddy in the dool as per the requirement of the family till the next season’s paddy arrives, while others make rice and store it in the bucket with husk for a long time.
Although the modern life of the people of rural Bengal has changed with the passage of time, many things remain unchanged even today.
More than half a hundred families in Sheikhpara and Daspara areas of Beraupazila are still involved in this bamboo industry. In this difficult battle for livelihood, a few families still keep this bamboo work of their ancestors alive.
Md Alom Sheikh, a bamboo artisan and trader of Sheikh Para Mahalla, said that “Bamboo is used to make various items including jhanka, dali, kula, chalun, topa, tupari, talai, chatai, banna and dool.
In addition, bamboo is used to cover food or cooking utensils. Due to low demand for manufactured products, shortage of bamboo and excessive increase in price of bamboo, many are shifting from this profession to another. Bamboo artisans no longer make fancy items in Bera, they make talai, bamna, topa and dool with bamboo.”
Md Ashraf Ali, a veteran bamboo artisan of Sheikhpara said, “Dools cannot be made with all types of bamboo. Special varieties and types of bamboo are required for making dool. Such bamboo is not cultivated everywhere.
It is found in a few areas of only a few districts of the country including Rangpur. Such bamboo poles are about two to two and a half feet apart from each other. The biggest feature of this variety of bamboo is that it does not catch insects.
This type of bamboo is known as Sonamukhi, Makhla, Molly and Dharai. The dool is usually two and a half to five cubits long.
A large bucket can hold 30 to 35 maund of paddy. Prices vary depending on the size of the dool. Dools are being bought and sold at prices ranging from Taka 500 to 1,500.”
The demand for buckets is high during this boar paddy season. The artisans of this bamboo industry in Sheikhpara and Daspara make bamboo tools and continue to make a living even today. In the modern era, plastic and aluminium have taken the place of bamboo, cane.
As a result of changes in prices and people’s lifestyle, the demand for household items made of bamboo, cane has significantly decreased.
As a result, manyhard-working people of these families are being forced to move from this bamboo industry to other professions.