<i>Dunga still going strong</i>
Carpenters give finishing touches to their palm tree made country boats, locally called dunga, at Tularampur Bazar in Narail Sadar upazila as the market, famous for sale of the traditional boats, attracts customers from different areas following swelling of water bodies due to downpour for days during the fag end of the rainy season. Photo: STAR
Chachuri, Maijpara and Tularampur haats (markets in rural areas) in the district are again buzzing with activities as dunga, a small boat made of palm trees, is on good sale there following heavy downpour during the fag end of the rainy season. Famous for the traditional country boat, the three haats attract customers from different areas of Narail as well as neighbouring Jessore, Faridpur, Khulna, Magura and Gopalganj districts, especially during the rainy season when water bodies like khals, beels and haors are full of water. Rural people use dunga for movement to short distances and collect water lily and snails. It comes of great help to shift marooned people to safer places during the rainy season. The carpenters of Char Shalikha and Ramsiddhi villages under Narail Sadar upazila make a large number of dungas and sell it mainly in the three haats. Two dungas can be made by splitting a palm tree. Usually 12 to 13 feet long, a dunga sells for Tk 3,000 to 5,000. Visiting Tularampur haat a couple of days ago, this correspondent found hundreds of dungas kept in a queue for sale. Buyers were making choice and bargaining to buy the item. Some carpenters were giving finishing touch to the boats. "I have been making dunga for over 25 years. I can make a dunga in two days. But due to sharp decrease of palm trees during the last few years we have to buy it for high prices. As a result, the price of dunga has gone up too," said Bodiar Sheikh, 65, of Ramsiddhi village. Rahman Mia, 50, of Char Shalikha village said he learnt to make dunga from his father and now his son and other family members help him in the job. He expressed happiness as he had sold a few dunga for good prices. "We need this type of water transport to go to the neighbouring houses, to catch fish and to collect shapla (water lily) from the beels. But its price has increased this year," said Soilendranath Biswas, 50, who came from Faridpur to buy dunga. During the Bangla months of Ashar, Sravan, Bhadra and Ashwin, dunga is in great demand as water bodies remain full of water. Once many types of boats including tabure, dingi and goina were available in Narail and adjacent areas. But their use has sharply declined due to siltation of water bodies and increase of road transport facility.
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