CUMILLA, Bangladesh — A man in Cumilla’s Sadar Dakshin upazila has built a livelihood for his seven-member family by making decorative chicken and duck coops out of colored corrugated tin and wood.
Saiful Islam, a resident of the old Chouwara bazar area, owns little land but has overcome poverty through his coop-making work, neighbors said. His success has inspired several men and women in the area to take up the craft as a source of employment.
At his workshop, Saiful was seen building coops out of colored tin and wood. His two sons, Sakib and Rakib, help him.
Saiful said he had been in the business for nearly 20 years. “At one time I had to work alone. Now the business has grown and my two sons help me,” he said. “Because of the demand, buyers come from different places. I sell each cage for 5,000 to 8,000 taka, depending on size, and earn a profit of 500 to 1,000 taka on each. My family runs on whatever I earn from selling these cages.”
His elder son, Sakib, said the coops are needed for anyone raising poultry in the villages. “Every family has them. Demand is good right now. Seeing us, many people in the area are starting this work,” he said.
Sadar Dakshin upazila livestock officer Dr. Tanjila Ferdousi said rectangular coops are best for raising poultry because they are environmentally friendly. “It is best if the coops run east-west and face south,” she said. In villages, gable-type and shed-type coops are most common, she said, with the advantage that they can be moved as needed.
Sadar Dakshin upazila executive officer Rubaiya Khanam told Kalbela that financial assistance is being provided to such entrepreneurs through various projects. “If they contact the upazila administration, they will receive every kind of support. If they form a cooperative and contact us, we will help with registration. Once registered, they would be eligible for an annual financial grant,” she said.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report