As only two days left for Eid-ul-Azha, the blacksmiths in Chittagong city are doing brisk business as sale of knives, machetes and choppers has increased remarkably.
While visiting several blacksmiths’ shops in Chittagong city’s Chowuhuny, Riazuddin Bazar, Muradpur, Bakalia-Kalamia Bazar, Halishahar-Boropul and EPZ areas in the district, this correspondent found that all blacksmiths were very passing busy time in making tools.
In addition, the demand of people who sharpen knives, machetes and slaughtering tools has reached in peak.
Abul Kashem of Boropul area told the Dhaka Tribune that they often forgot to take foods and have bath as the demand of various types of knives, cleavers and other slaughtering tools were high.
“Sometimes people brought iron sheet by their own and asked us to make their desired tools.”
Emdadul Mia, 28, who sharpens tools, said he usually passed idle time round the year.
“The idle time has over as the Eid is coming, my business is going well. Now I am earning Tk1,000 in a day removing the rust of meat cutters”, he added.
Wholesellers and retailers of tools said a small size which use to separate sacrificial animal’s skin are sold at Tk 250 to Tk400, a medium size cleaver at Tk600 to Tk1,000 and a butcher knives at Tk250 to Tk400 each.
Md Shah Alam Mia, a retired official of Bangladesh Railway, told the Dhaka Tribune that as blacksmiths used sub-standard iron for making tools, he brought a solid iron plate to make knife from it.
“Readymade sacrificial tools are normally made by substandard iron. It breaks when anyone tries to cut or chop bone,” he added.
Nasir Uddin Patwary, a banker, said his knives and tools were sharpened on Saturday.
“Now, I am waiting for buying a sacrificial animal and slaughtering it before almighty in a bid to gain god’s satisfaction,” he said.