Blacksmiths spending busy time in Nakla -The Asian Age

Blacksmiths of Nakla upazilas of Sherpur district were spending busy last time by making and sharpening various types of household and butcher's weapons including knives, dao, boti, hasua, chapati, and axes. Like elsewhere in the country, blacksmiths and sharp tools seller in Nakla are busy for upcoming Eid-ul-Azha. But due to flood customers are so few telling the sharp tools maker and seller.

With the approaching Eid-ul-Azha, the blacksmiths of the upazilas were working round the clock to supply the ordered items of those household weapons to the customers. Customers of those weapons informed, during the Eid a large number of animals are sacrificed in every village of the upazila every year. As a result, they need sharp knives, dao, axes, hasua, boti and other weapons to slaughter, skin and process meat. Saidul Islam at Nakla north bazar area said, they remained almost idle all the year excepting a month before the Eid-ul-Azha. He also said, due to scarcity of quality metal, blacksmiths of the upazila were failing to produce best quality knives and other sharp weapons needed to be used during Eid. Based on quality of metal and the size of knives and other sharp weapons, they are selling chopper, axe, knife, blade, machete, botty and other iron made sharp tools. The price of the sharp tools varies depending on quality and quantity of the iron said the seller. A Machete is priced Tk 250 to Tk 600. Botty is priced between Tk 300 and Tk 500. Raw iron knife (11.5 to 18 inches) is between Tk 250 to Tk 500. The ripe iron (15 to 18 inch) knife is Tk 400 to Tk 550.

In addition, the timber used for meat-cutting is priced Tk 20 to Tk 30 per kg. Mostoffa Mia a blacksmith at Nakla Bazar, said coal prices had risen. Last year, brick-burning coal was bought at Tk 550 to Tk 600 per sack. This time the coal was bought Tk 900 to Tk1000 per sack. So he reduced lot of making the goods. Another blacksmith Nazrul Islam, a Karmaker at Govt Hazia Jalmamud Collage road said the same. He said, due to flood this time we got a few order.

Mostoffa Mia and Nazrul Islam a Karmaker at Nakla Bazar said, the machine made sharp weapons including knife, hasua, boti and dao have stormed the markets. Though that machine made weapons look bright and handy, those were low in quality but customers preferred to purchase those sharp weapons because of their showy finishing and cheap price.  -- AA correspondent, Nakla, Sherpur