Kutubpur in Kalia union of Tangail's Sakhipur upazila has become popular as a wholesale banana market. At every Sunday and Wednesday haat, bananas worth nearly Tk 1 crore leave for Dhaka and other parts of the country.

Banana traders at Kutubpur say it is now the biggest banana haat in the northern region. Bananas arrive from Kutubpur, Barachauna, Daripaka, Sreepur, Toildhara, Mucharia Pathar and Shalgrampur in the upazila, from Garobazar in Phulbaria upazila, from Sagardighi and Jordighi in Ghatail upazila and from other parts of the district, from Saturday afternoon until noon on Sunday and from Tuesday afternoon until noon on Wednesday.

Banana growers and small traders bring the fruit to the haat. Wholesalers buy from them and sell in Dhaka, Mymensingh, Chattogram, Sylhet and other districts.

Fazal Mia, a banana arat owner at Kutubpur, said 20 to 25 truckloads of bananas go from the market to different parts of the country on every haat day. Seven arats have grown up around the banana trade.

Traders and sellers said banana prices are considerably higher this year. A bunch sells for Tk 100 to Tk 500, depending on the bunch.

Banana trader Mia Hossain said the bananas here are of very good quality and are in demand everywhere in the country, which is why prices are a little higher. A medium-quality bunch of 15 to 18 hands sells for at least Tk 300, and better bananas fetch up to Tk 500.

Mojibur Rahman, a banana grower from Sreepur village, said this is the largest banana haat in the upazila. More bananas are sold here than at other markets and prices are somewhat better, which is why more bananas come to Kutubpur.

Hazrat Ali, a banana grower from Garobazar, said he has grown bananas on four and a half bighas this year. He then said he planted 1,500 banana plants on five and a half bighas, at 300 plants a bigha. He expects to sell at least Tk 80,000 worth of bananas from each bigha, and said growing bananas cost him Tk 30,000 a bigha.

Mojibur Rahman Fakir, president of the market traders' association and a local union parishad member, said: "Bananas worth nearly Tk 1 crore are bought and sold at this market every week. Kutubpur is also known as one of the most famous banana markets in Tangail."

Source: Dhaka Tribune. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.