UNB, Brahmanbaria:: As Eid-ul-Azha draws closer, the rhythmic clanging of hammers on glowing iron has transformed blacksmith villages in Brahmanbaria’s Nabinagar upazila into bustling hubs of activity.
From dawn until deep into the night, blacksmiths are working tirelessly to meet the growing demand for sacrificial tools such as cleavers, machetes, knives and traditional cutting blades used during the Eid cattle sacrifice.
For many of the artisans, the annual festival season is the busiest and most profitable period of the year.
“In the rest of the year, work remains limited. But before Eid-ul-Azha, we hardly get time to breathe,” said Shyamal Karmakar, a local blacksmith, while shaping a red-hot blade with repeated hammer strikes.
Across blacksmith neighbourhoods and marketplaces in Bholachang, Sohata, Shyamgram, Kadair and Sreeghar, furnaces burn constantly as sparks fly from workshops crowded with customers seeking new tools or sharpening old ones.
The metallic “tung-tang” sound of hammer and chisel echoes through the air, creating a familiar pre-Eid atmosphere in the rural landscape.
Blacksmiths said prices of raw materials and labour have increased significantly this year, forcing them to charge more for their products and services.
According to the artisans, skinning knives are selling for Tk100 to Tk200, machetes for Tk200 to Tk350, traditional cutting blades or boti for Tk250 to Tk500, slaughtering knives for Tk300 to Tk1,000, and heavy cleavers for Tk500 to Tk800.
“Coal prices have nearly doubled compared to two months ago,” said Sunil Karmakar, another blacksmith in the area.
“Earlier, a sack of coal cost Tk 400 to Tk 450. Now we have to buy it for Tk 800 to Tk 850. Labour costs have also gone up,” he said.
Despite the higher prices, customers continue to crowd the workshops as many families prefer preparing their own tools ahead of Eid due to the shortage of butchers during the festival.
Abdul Karim, a customer at a blacksmith shop, said he bought a cleaver for Tk 500 and also brought several old tools for repair and sharpening.
“I purchased a new cleaver and came to sharpen knives and machetes,” he said.
Anwar Hossain, another customer, said many people now choose to slaughter sacrificial animals themselves because it has become difficult to find skilled butchers during Eid.
“That is why I bought a new boti and sharpened my old machete and knife,” he said, adding that sharpening costs have increased by Tk 20 to Tk 50 compared to last year, depending on the type of tool.
Blacksmiths said sales have already doubled ahead of Eid, and they expect even greater demand in the final two days before the festival.
To cope with the rush, many artisans started preparations nearly a month ago and are continuing work without pause.
The blacksmiths said they will continue working at full pace until Eid.
