In the monsoon the canals, beels and ponds of Kashiani upazila in Gopalganj flood, and water lilies (shapla) grow in them naturally. In this season without work, about 3,000 families in the upazila make a living by picking and selling them. BSS's headline puts shapla sales in Gopalganj at crores of taka a year.

Water lilies grow mostly in flooded boro, jute and aman rice fields. Though it is the national flower, shapla is also a popular vegetable in many regions. With little farm work in the rains, many farmers, jobless people and others have taken it up; it needs no capital, which makes it profitable.

Men and women of all ages go out by boat at dawn to pick lilies in Singa, Rahuthar, Hatiara, Shilta and other beels. A wholesale market has grown up at Rahuthar, where traders buy the lilies to sell in the district town and in Jashore, Magura, Jhenaidah, Narail and Lohagara.

Shankar Kumar Basu, leaseholder of the Rahuthar wholesale depot, said pickers bring lilies by boat every morning to sell at wholesale prices, and 20 to 30 vehicle-loads a day, by van, easy-bike and nasimon, go to Kashiani town, Jashore, Khulna, Alfadanga and Bhatiapara.

Picker Gobinda Biswas said he has supported his family by selling water lilies in the monsoon for 10 years and can gather about Tk 500 to Tk 700 worth a day. Kashiani upazila agriculture officer Md Ejazul Karim said no crop grows in the beels during the rains, so farmers pick lilies to meet household costs, and the lilies also meet nutritional needs.

The report is from Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) in Gopalganj.

Source: BSS