Pakha Gram: Generating Tk7cr a year, two Bogura villages evolve into fan-making hub
Abdul Hakim, the husband of 19-year-old Sadia Khatun in Bogura sadar upazila's Darial village, is a construction worker by profession. Given the extreme heatwave conditions, Sadia opted to find an alternative job for her husband, considering the difficulties associated with his current work.
Sadia, who is already skilled at crafting "tal-pakha," (hand fan made of palm leaves), decided to train her husband in the same craft.
Hakim, along with wife Sadia, is now at his father-in-law's house in Arola village of Kahalu upazila of Bogura, where he is honing fan-making skills under the guidance of his father-in-law Siddikur Rahman, who is an experienced artisan.
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Like the couple, most of the families in Arola village and its adjacent Jogir Bhaban village in Kahalu have been involved in fan-making for generations. As they took it as their prime source of income, the area is locally known as "Pakha Gram," [village of fans].
"Crafting palm leaf fans is more profitable than any other work. Not only me, every household in the area depends on it for their livelihood," Siddikur Rahman, the father of Sadia, told The Business Standard.
According to artisans, people in this area craft fans for over six months of the year, commencing with leaf collection in the Bengali month of Ashwin.
Artisans said five types of fans are made in the two villages. These are – "Data Pakha," "Gharuki Pakha", "Pati Pakha," "Pocket Pakha" and "Aman Pakha". Depending on the type, each fan sells at the wholesale market for Tk15-50.
Palm leaves and bamboo sticks are the two main raw materials of these handmade fans.
Artisan Ershad Ali told TBS that now they have to collect palm leaves from various districts, including Joypurhat and Rajshahi, as the local production of leaves fails to meet the demand. Bamboos are bought from various areas.
Ershad, along with two members of his family, can make 100 pieces of fan every day.
However, as the hand fan business is thriving in the two villages, no one in this area knows about the exact origins of the business here.
"I cannot say how long ago the people here started crafting palm-leaf fans. My grandfathers were also in this business. Now everyone in the village is involved in it. People of the country know it as 'Pakha Gram'," said 90-year-old Abdul Gafur from Arola village.
To earn extra from the business, alongside men, women in the area utilise their free time to make fans.
Housewife Tanjia said, "I learned it [making fans] at my father's house. Earlier, I used to get 50 paisa for painting each piece of the fan. Now, it has increased to Tk2.5. Many women are involved in painting and the needlework of fans, while men mainly make handles."
Artisan Ershad Ali said wholesalers from all parts of the country, including Dhaka, Sylhet, Chattogram, Rajshahi, Rangpur and Chapainawabganj, buy fans from this area. In addition, these hand fans are sold at various fairs.
"Each family in this area makes fans worth an average of Tk7 lakh every year," he said.
Azizar Sheikh, a businessman from Sirajganj's Hat Pangasi area, told TBS that the demand for palm leaf fans has increased in various fairs and markets. The price has also increased.
Local union parishad member Haidar Ali, who himself is also engaged in the fan business, said, "There are about 1,000 households in the two villages. Everyone in the area is involved in the fan business. Fans worth Tk8-10 crore are produced here annually."
Haider said if the small entrepreneurs in the area are provided with low-interest loans, it will help them boost business.
AKM Mahfuzur Rahman, deputy general manager of Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) Bogura, said at least 4,000 people in Arola and Jogir Bhaban villages of Kahalu are involved in fan business.
If sought, they will be financially supported within the policy. The corporation will also arrange training for them, added Mahfuzur.
