MADHUPUR, TANGAIL, Dec 29: The bamboo industry in Madhupur Upazila of the district is about to disappear due to lack of modernity and patronage.
This art of ancient tradition is about to be lost as it cannot survive in the current market in the face of plastic products. Families involved in the industry are passing days in hardship because of not getting fair prices of their manufactured items. In this situation, they are shifting to other profession.
A visiting to different villages in the upazila came to know that few decades back there were about 300 families engaged in bamboo-item making. Then various items, such as sinks, wraps, baskets, lids, would be manufactured in their houses. Now there are only 35-30 families.
With the passage of time, the industry is disappearing due to the arrival of various plastic products. Production of bamboo is decreasing. Bamboo products are not able to survive in the competition of plastic items.
Families associated with the industry have got their living into hardship.
Tasmin Islam Shishir, a housewife of Kadimahatil Village, said, people of the village store their whole year's food grains, the current season's rice in the Dol (a very large basket) made of bamboo.
Putal Rani, a maker of Betbari Village in the upazila, said, due to the abnormal increase in the price of bamboo, lack of capital, low demand and increase in transportation costs, there is not much profit anymore.
Several people including Abhiram Burman, Nadu Burman said, the demand has decreased.
"We are going very hard. Due to the increase in commodity prices, it is very difficult to run the family," they added.
Conscious people think, the bamboo industry is included in the small and cottage industries category; but neither the government nor any non-government organization has any initiative to sustain the industry;in order to protect that disappearing industry, there is an urgent need for government patronization, planning and training; at the same time, after making a list of them, bank loans should be arranged for them on easy term.
Upazila Social Service Officer Ismail Hossain said, the government often provides training and encouragement to people of this marginal cottage industry. "We are working keeping in mind that this industry is being lost due to the touch of modernity," he added.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer Shamima Yasmeen said, "I will ask the relevant department of social services and youth development for taking initiative to sustain the industry by patronizing and training up people of the industry, considering about improved life for them."
