Kaktarua, a fanus meant for blowing away of birds, beasts and other enemies to crops has been abolishing day by day in the rural Bangladesh. Modernization in agriculture sector is liable for this.
A number of farmers at village Bishoykhali in Jhenidah Sadar upazila said Kaktarua decreased than past times. The farmers set up an earthen pot on the top of a four to five feet bamboo stick and put some colour on the pot to shape it on the face of a human being. A shirt or punjabi was covered with the skeleton of the Kakptarua to prove it human.
The Kaktarua was set to protect the standing crops from the attack and damage birds and many beast jackal, hug etc. When they appeared before the Kaktarua, thought that it might be a human being and attack on them. At last they left the cropland. Mahmud Hossain, a farmer of Khalishpur Bazer in Moheshpur, said they are actually not sure when the Kaktarua was installed on the croplands. But since their childhood, they have been witnessing that their four-fathers have been installing the same on the lands.
Another farmer said the Kaktarua was introduced to aware the people when they started applying powerful pesticides known as Endrine in early 1960s. The Endrine was so effective that it could kill any life like human or any other beasts within few minutes.
The people finding no other alternative installed Kaktarua on the croplands where Endrine was sprayed. It was installed as a warning for the common people. So-me people[e still install the Kaktarua on their croplands in remote villages, he said.
Deputy Director of the department of agriculture extension (DAE) in Jhenidah GM Abdur Rauf said that installation of Kaktarua was a wise decision of the farmers. Now the aware farmers use water colour nets on the croplands to protect it from the birds and cunning beasts. Although it has been a threat to natural birds, the farmers are using the same for their own interest, he said.
