Blacksmiths passing busy time in Netrakona ahead of Eid-ul-Azha

Blacksmiths in the Netrakona district are passing busy time making sharp tools used for slaughtering sacrificial animals and processing the meat, as Eid-ul-Azha is only a few days away.

Local people said many customers are thronging the shops of blacksmiths to order iron-made tools, including machetes, choppers, knives, spades, axes and scissors.

Apart from this, people are also having their old equipment/tools repaired or sharpened by blacksmiths.

Blacksmiths are now selling each knife at Tk 500 to 600, chopper at Tk 800 to 900, machete at Tk 700 to 800, and spade at Tk 700 to 900.

Talking to BSS, over 50 blacksmiths in the district said that the demand for animal slaughtering sharp equipment increased ahead of the holy Eid-ul-Azha festival.

"We can earn more profit by selling our products during the Eid-ul-Azha, but we pass idle times after the Eid festival", they said.

Recalling their past golden days, some old-aged blacksmiths of the Satpai area in the district town informed that their business was very profitable over three decades ago when there was a huge demand for iron-made tools and equipment, including sharp ploughs, spades, knives, sickles and spikes on the wheels of cattle-driven cart and axes. 

Some blacksmiths said the decrease in the demand for their products, lack of skilled craftsmen, and high prices of raw materials, including charcoal, files, cast iron, steel and other inputs hiked the production costs, making their profession a tough one.

In the wake of the present situation, many blacksmiths, who used to earn their livelihood by manufacturing iron tools and agricultural equipment, are now changing their profession, they said.

They underlined the need to draw the attention of the concerned authorities, including commercial banks, to provide them with loans to expand their business.