Sahid Joy, Jashore
Chaulia Daspara is a little known village under the Narendrapur Union of Jashore Sadar Upazilla. The creative people of this village have taken the opportunity in producing bird’s nests and exporting these products to the outside of the country. These bird nests are suitable for pet birds. The nests are being exported to other countries including Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, and Portugal.
Bird sanctuaries are going to different districts of the country to feed the birds. And because of this, the use of bird nests is increasing in different districts of the country as well as in the outer world. About 30 kinds of bird nests are being built in that village. Exporting these products abroad are bringing foreign currencies and generating employment for the community people.
Men and women of different ages are weaving bird nests on the verandahs of different houses in Daspara of Chaulai village. Anjali Das, a housewife is a bird’s nest weaver. She said they built bird nests as per orders. They sell at Tk 15 to 60 depending on the sizes. The women of the house usually work to build these nests. They use bamboo, cane, jute, coconut husk, straw, plastic pipes and other easily available materials to make these nests.
Anjali said, I have been weaving bird’s nests for about 30 year. I weave a nest in my spare time. There are no difficulties working in this sector. We enjoy the benefit of extra income.
Gouranga Chandra Das, an entrepreneur who weave bird nests, said he used to sell baskets in Jashore 34 years ago by ferry. At that time, the American expatriate Babul showed a sample of two bird nests and said, can you make it or not? He agreed.
Then he started supplying bird nests according to the buyer. He then built a bird’s nest and benefited himself financially. His condition is changing. Now he provides bird nests according to the samples given by the traders of Dhaka. These traders do not export these to different countries. With the help of Gouranga Chandra Das, about 30 families built a bird’s nest in a few villages including Chaulia village. He said that with the help of the government, a large-scale bird nest can be planned.