Currently, it is raining almost every day. As a result, more water is in the canals and rivers, starting from the crop fields. It has increased the number of native species of small fish. So people from different professions are busy fishing in different ways.
The sale of Chai (fishing traps) made of bamboo, small fishing equipment of indigenous species, has been booming in various bazaars nationwide.
People involved in the chai industry are getting expected prices at this time. Many low-income families have taken up chai-making as a source of additional income.
As these Chai made of bamboo and yarn are of good quality, fishermen from different parts of the country also buy them from these bazaars. When the monsoon season comes, the demand for Chai is high. Families making Chai earn almost the entire year’s income in two to three months of the season.
The cost of making these Chai varies from 80 to 200 taka. It is sold for 200 to 500 taka. The selling price is determined according to the cost of producing sizeable-sized Chai.
In various localities, Chai is known as Dhandi, Bana, Khadan, Khalai, Bitti, Burong, and Bhair.
Due to the dominance of various materials, including small species of fishing cotton and current nets, the Chai made from bamboo faces a lot of market competition.
Thousands of families across the country depend on this industry for their livelihood, but there is no government initiative to sustain this industry.
Bamboo is not available like before, the price of bamboo is also high. So even though the profit is not much, they are very happy to make Chai by working hard day and night because of the demand during the monsoon season. On the one hand, as time passes, on the other hand, in the hope of profit, the members of the house try to meet the shortage by making tea together.