A Tal Pakha, a hand-made fan of palm leaves, has changed lives of 400 unemployed people of fifty families in Uttar Chandsi village, a remote corner of Gournadi upazila under Barisal district.
The village, about 44 kilometers far from the city, is now known as ‘Pakha Palli’ or Tal-Pakhar Graam, due to their source of livelihood.
It is said more than 150 years ago, a woman named Khodeza Begum coming from Faridpur settled in the village after marriage, and trained the locals to make Tal Pakha for financial sufficiency.
Now 400 people of the village are dependent on the business.
In a recent visit, it was found that they were busy collecting and processing palm leaves.
Many of them were busy shaping and sizing the leaves. Some were preparing and slicing bamboo sticks to bind with Pakha.
Some were stitching, colouring or giving final touch to their products.
Pakha makers were seen singing folk songs like ‘Orey o taler pakha, sheet kaletey daona dekha, Grishsha kaley praner shokha (O the fan of palm leaf, you are not seen in winter, but became friend of heart in summer)”, or ‘Tomar haat pakhar batashey, pran juraia ashey (By the breeze of your hand-fan, my heart becomes calm)’.
There are several types of fans. Some are with handle and some are without one.
One can make 20-25 fans everyday on average depending on type of fan.
The fan is in high demand during the summer season.
Hashem Khalifa said he and his family members had been doing the business since last twenty years to maintain their seven-member family.
“Since many palm trees and bamboos have been destroyed by storms or lightning, we often face acute shortage of raw materials and we have to collect them from different areas for high prices,” Hashem said.
“A pakha costs Tk4 to Tk13 and it is sold at the rate of Tk6 to Tk17 in wholesale market and at Tk10-25 in retail market,” Hashem added.
There is no government assistance in this business. Many producers have to take loans from their wholesalers or NGOs on high interest.
“Tal pakha not only gives us relief from the soaring heat of summer and during power-cuts, it is also a heritage of our culture and tradition,” said Gias Khalifa, local UP member
“We should save it from extinction by giving necessary support,” he added.
