Baruna is a village on the Baikka Beel shore of Hail Haor. Fishing boxes, which is locally called Paron, worth lakhs of Tk are sold every season in this village. The fish farmers and fishermen of Haor bought this Paron used for fishing. This fishing box is one of the sources of livelihood of about half hundred families of Baruna village.
Kalpana Rani Sarkar is sitting with bamboo and cane in the courtyard of the house. You can make it with your own hands. Tying the thread to the stick.
Other women of the house are making paran sitting beside him. In this way, three to four days work to make a Paron. Like him, other men and women of the house do the work of making this Paron. The work of making Paron is being done in this house for ages, which is bought by the local fishermen.
Kalpana Rani Sarkar said, it takes three to four days to make one parl. Men as well as women do this. Those who can buy, come home and buy. As many as twelve Parons can be made from one large bamboo. It costs sixteen hundred and seventeen hundred taka to make twenty Paron. We sell this fishing box for two thousand to twenty five hundred rupees. Fishing is done with Paron. They are used to catch native small fish. It is not possible to make much profit by making these things. What time goes by and what is gained is not really worth it.
Tagore Moni Sarkar said, I have been making Paron for about thirty years. We have been doing this since the time of our father and grandfather. In fact, in this era, it is difficult to run a family with money from the sale of fishing boxes. Somehow you can go with your life. Bamboo, rattan, yarn are required.
These things have to be bought. Everyone in the house works together and earns four to five hundred taka. We are not moved by it. Government patronage is needed to protect this industry. It is actually a seasonal business. Someone sold a pearl worth twenty thirty thousand rupees. Altogether the gram is sold for more than lakhs of rupees.
Nagendra Sarkar said, I have been making Paron for twenty five years. Can still make it in old age. It doesn't look like anyone else will be making Paron after us. Because our sons and daughters no longer do these things. Some of them study and some do other work.
Paron is sold at Hindupara in Baruna village of Kalapur union of Srimangal upazila of Moulvibazar. Gentu Mia, a buyer who came there, said, I have leased a beel in Howar. I want to go there and catch fish with a rope and Paron. I will bring the fish in the afternoon and sell it in the market. This is my livelihood.
Minnat Ali, former general secretary of Baragangina Resource Management Committee of Baikka Beel, said that some people of this village make a living by selling Paron.
Millions of Tk worth of parsons are sold during the season. In the era of modern technology, the use of Paron in fishing is decreasing. It can be called our tradition. I think it needs to be preserved.