Demand for traditional fishing traps on rise at Raninagar

RANINAGAR, NAOGAON, Sept 18: The sale of kholshani, a traditional bamboo fish trap used to catch small indigenous fish, has picked up across markets in Raninagar as the monsoon season reaches its peak.

With intermittent rain in late Bhadra and rising water levels in canals and wetlands, several low-lying areas of the upazila have been partially inundated. As more fish become available, demand for traditional fishing gear has also increased.

Hundreds of kholshani are now being sold every day at local markets. The kholshani section of the traditional Trimohoni Hat has become particularly busy, with buyers and sellers gathering there from early morning.

Families from Nizampur and Nagar Balu Tiki areas under Kashimpur Union, Jhina under Gona Union, Haripur of Krishnapur Kaligram, Khattreshwar under Raninagar Sadar Union and neighbouring Ramraypur village make the traps.

Members of the families, including women and children, work together to make the traps from bamboo and palm materials during their relatively free time. They sell them wholesale from their homes and at Trimohoni, Abadpukur, Betgari, Katrashain, Lohachura and other local markets.

The traps are made from bamboo, cotton thread and fibres from palm trees. Their quality has helped them gain popularity beyond the local area.

Fish traders from haor and flood-prone regions buy the traps wholesale and transport them by truck to Gaibandha, Joypurhat, Rangpur, Kurigram and other districts.

For the families involved, the monsoon is the main season for selling kholshani. As demand and prices rise during the two- to three-month period, they manage to earn enough to support their families for much of the year.

Depending on size and type, the production cost of a pair ranges from Tk 180 to Tk 200, while they sell for Tk 300 to Tk 350.

Although the profit is modest, many families remain reluctant to abandon the traditional occupation handed down through generations. They say the work provides both income and employment for family members during the rainy season.

However, the traditional bamboo traps are struggling to survive amid the growing use of modern fishing equipment, including suti, bhadai and current nets.

Kafil Uddin of Dangapara Village in Kashimpur, who came to Trimohoni Hat to buy the traps, said he bought a pair but found the price higher than last year.

Krishna Kumar, a kholshani trader from Khattreshwar Village, said they could not give up the occupation despite the challenges.

“We have difficulties in this business, but we cannot abandon the profession inherited from our forefathers,” he said.
Ibnu Sabbir Ahmed, Upazila Youth Development Officer, said kholshani was one of the oldest and easily available bamboo-made fishing tools in rural Bangladesh.

“Many people from different villages of Raninagar are involved in this profession. Those aged between 18 and 35 can receive training and, subject to the required conditions, access loans to expand their businesses and create self-employment,” he said.