(ANN/THE DAILY STAR) – Amidst the bustling streets of Gulshan-2, just days before Eid-ul-Azha, stood Mohammad Abdul in the sweltering heat, clad in ragged clothes and carrying haat pakha – hand fans made from palm leaves.
“I wanted to earn a little extra money to buy my children something nice,” he said.
Hailing from Kushtia, Abdul has been crafting and selling these fans for over two decades. This once-thriving tradition is now fading.
“We craft these pakhas from palm leaves, with many in our village, especially women, making nakshi pakhas. Our families have been making these for generations, coming to the city to sell them,” Abdul explained.
The haat pakha is not just a tool for battling the relentless heat but is an emblem of Bangladeshi heritage. These hand fans are typically crafted from palm leaves, featuring a sturdy yet flexible structure that provides a natural, cooling breeze — much needed in the tropical climate of our country.
Traditionally, these fans come in various forms – plain and adorned with elaborate naksha (designs). However, as technology advances and electric fans and air conditioners become more accessible, the demand for these handcrafted fans has dwindled, casting a shadow over artisans’ livelihoods.
“Do you remember any particular story about haat pakha?” I asked, intrigued by the generational craft.
With a smile, Abdul’s eyes lit up with nostalgia. “My grandmother used to tell me stories under the cool breeze of her pakha. Those were simpler times,” he said.
“Summers were harsh, but a haat pakha was always within reach. My mother would use it to lull me to sleep or shoo away the flies while we ate. It was as essential as our evening meals,” Abdul reminisced with teary eyes.
In rural areas, where many homes lack air conditioning and sometimes even electric fans due to power outages or economic constraints, these hand fans are invaluable. They are used to generate a breeze during the hot and humid days and nights, making the oppressive heat more bearable.
For many rural families, making and selling haat pakhas provides a supplementary income similar to Abdul but the winds of modernisation are challenging this age-old tradition.
Abdul lamented, “The young ones, even my children say there is no future in this. They might be right, but what about our past, our livelihoods?”
So, as the young generation, our role is pivotal – we are the bridge between the past and the future. One of the most direct ways we can support artisans like Mohammad Abdul is by purchasing their products.
For artisans like him, every haat pakha sold is not just a transaction but a lifeline. Buying one or two pakhas, whether for personal use, as gifts, or even as decorative pieces for homes and offices, can make a significant difference.
It is through these collective efforts that we can help preserve not just the craft itself but also the stories, traditions, and livelihoods associated with it – preventing this unique part of our heritage from fading into oblivion.
