DHAKA: he monsoon has brought the century-old boat market in Faridpur's Bhanga upazila back to life, with farmers flocking there to buy small boats for harvesting, retting and washing jute in waterlogged fields.
Located beside the Kumar River and the Dhaka-Bhanga Expressway, the market has long served as a seasonal hub for farmers and boat traders. While it officially operates alongside Bhanga's weekly haat on Fridays and Mondays, boat trading continues throughout the week during the monsoon season.
During a visit around noon on Friday, this correspondent found hundreds of boats spread across a vast area between the expressway and the river. Some floated on the Kumar, while many others were displayed along the riverbank as buyers and sellers bargained over prices.
After making their purchases, many buyers transported the boats home on battery-run vans.
According to market authorities, buyers come from various upazilas in Faridpur, Gopalganj and Madaripur districts, with sales typically peaking on Fridays and Mondays.
The market once featured a wide range of boats, including khoro, salti and donga, as well as oars. Today, small boats dominate the market as demand has risen due to seasonal waterlogging and agricultural activities.
Among the buyers on Friday was Mohammad Bakkar Sheikh, 65, of Bangalkanda village in Nagarkanda upazila.
"There is a lot of water in the fields. I have cultivated jute and need a boat for retting and washing it. That's why I came here," he said.
Alibordi Sikdar, 71, a farmer from Chanpatti village in Bhanga, echoed the sentiment.
"There is water in the fields, and we need a boat to cut grass for our cattle. But boat prices are higher this year," he said.
The seasonal demand is also helping sustain a dwindling community of traditional boat makers.
Rabindranath Nath Mondal, 76, of Brahmanpara village in Bhanga, has been making boats for nearly six decades. He brought 10 boats to Friday's market and had sold two by noon.
The rising cost of raw materials has squeezed profits, he said.
"The price of wood is much higher than before, while the costs of iron, transport and labour have also increased. It costs around Tk 5,500 to make a small boat, which we sell for Tk 6,000 to Tk 6,500," he said.
"I have been selling boats at the Bhanga haat since before the Liberation War."
Another boat maker, Krishna Mondal of Pulia village, said rain tree and chambal wood are commonly used to build the boats.
"It takes two days to make a boat, but there is little profit after covering the costs," he said.
For some traders, however, the seasonal rush remains an important source of income.
Safi Bepari, 75, of Chowkighata village in Bhanga, said he has been involved in the boat trade at the market for more than 50 years.
"I sell an average of eight to 10 boats at every haat. Depending on their size and type, each boat sells for Tk 4,500 to Tk 8,000. We make a profit of Tk 500 to Tk 1,000 per boat," he said.
Hafizul Munsi, the market's lessee, said the market is unique in the Faridpur region and has become part of the area's heritage.
"I have heard from elders that the market is more than 100 years old. In the past, many large boats were sold here," he said.
He said business had been brisk over the past month, driven by the monsoon and the jute season.
"Boat sales have been good. Demand is higher this year because of the monsoon and jute season," he added. - Daily Star/ANN
