A potential cottage industry in Noakhali needs attention

Two woman making a Hogla (reed) in Khalifar Haat village in Noakhali. The cottage industry employs about 30,000 people but failed to draw the attention of the government and NGOs.Photo: Bdnews

Most of the people among 30,000 inhabitants of the area are in some way connected with the cottage industry as their ancestral occupation as the unique species of reed is found in plenty here.

At least 3,000 men were engaged in Hogla cultivation.

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Farmers said they did not have to toil much to cultivate Hogla; if they sowed the roots in the rainy season, the land would become huge bushes of Hogla to be reaped by the month of July.

Moreover, they could make tasty foods like Vapa Pitha (a kind of steamed rice cake) with the powder made from the bottom of Hogla flowers collected during July. This Hogla powder sells at Tk 20 to Tk 25 per kilogram.

Khalifar Haat is the major market of different products made of Hogla reeds. The wholesalers export Hogla products to Dhaka, Chittagong, Sylhet, Rangpur and other parts of the country from here. Some allege that the products are being smuggled to India, mainly by the Indian Khasia Adivasi women.

Belal Hossain,30, a Hogla trader, told if they cultivate Hogla in one acre of land they could earn as many as Tk 20 to 30 thousand and on the other, they could earn only Tk 10 to 15 thousand from paddy cultivation.

At least 10,000 women were engaged in Hogla cottage industry. Various products could be made with Hogla reeds but the artisans made only Chatais (local mat), hand fans and brooms due to lack of proper training.

Amena Begum,50, a Hogla craftswoman, said they could make upgraded and luxury products if they were properly trained.

Hogla trader Kamal Uddin,55, told the industry would boom and could play a vital role in the national economy if they were patronised by the government.

However, admitting the necessity to provide loans to help develop the cottage industry, agriculture officer Khalil Azad said neither the Hogla cultivators nor the traders had ever asked them for help.

The brighter prospect of Hogla cottage industry has yet been overlooked by many NGOs like BRAC and NRDS that have been working here since long.