Traditional hand fans made of palm leaves are being produced by around two hundred families at Dampara village in Nikli Upazila of the district. The families depend on the eco-friendly product for their livelihood. Around one thousand people from the families are making a large number of hand fans, locally known as Hath Pakha, during the summer season and supplying those to all over the country. They run their families with the income from the sale of hand fans.
Usually, the demand for hand fans increases during the Bengali months of Chaitra, Baishakh and Jaistha. As a heatwave is now sweeping across the country, demand for the product increases further.
While visiting the area, this correspondent found that people of different ages of Noarhati, Tekpara and Barmanpara at Dampara village are now busy making hand fans from morning to midnight. However, artisans remain busy throughout the year centring the business of hand fans in summer season.
Eighty-year-old Ashulata Roy of the village said after her marriage at the age of 12 years, her mother-in-law taught her to make a traditional hand fan. People of the village have been making the eco-friendly product for the last 60 to 70 years.
“But I cannot make any fan now. My daughter-in-law and grandchildren are now making hand fans,” she said. The women of the village are mainly making the fans while men are bringing various raw materials of it.
Ankita Barman, a nine-year-old child, was seen making fans. Ankita reads in class 3 at a local school. She helps her parents when she gets time after study. Many children like her are assisting their parents in making the traditional fans.
