Bamboo shoots becoming too costly to dish up

Bamboo shoots on sale at a market in Khagrachhari. PHOTO: STAR

Besides production of exportable fancy items, scientists in Japan have produced high quality fabric by processing bamboo. A Japanese firm has undertaken such a project in Bangladesh.

But the valuable forest resource is being destroyed as it is extracted in a massive scale, mainly in the rainy season, for use as a vegetable. It is a favourate item not only to the indigenous people now but also to Bangalees in the hills now.

Large quantities of bamboo shoots are also finding their way to big cities like Dhaka and Chittagong, where soup prepared with it are served in posh hotels and restaurants, sources said.

According to Forest and Agriculture Extension Department (AED) officials, at least Tk 1.5 crore bamboo shoots are extracted from forests in CHT during the monsoon, which, if full grown, could produce Tk 15 crore bambooes.

The shoots are sold as vegetable in all the 230 small and big markets in 25 upazilas in CHT. In Khagrachhari alone, there are over 100 such markets where at least 10,000 kilograms of bamboo shoots are sold per day, they said.

This correspondent during a survey witnessed large quantities of bamboo shoots on sale at markets in Mohazonpara, Babuchhara, Modhupur, Laxmichhari, Mohalchhari, Ramgour, Pankhiyapara, Dighinala, Merung, Golabari Turning and Sarirbarbazar in khagrachhari district. These were being sold at Tk 10 to Tk 12 per kg.

Talking to this correspondent at Golabari, Krahkhery Marma, 45, an indigenous women, said, “Bamboo shoot is traditionally our favorite food. It will be hard for us to obey if government makes any law to stop its use as a food item”.

Ratan Das, 35, who bought three kilograms of bamboo shoots for Tk 30 at Mudhupur Bazar in the Sader upazila said it is a delicious food and none can stop its consumption.

Khagrachhari AED Deputy Director Abul Kalam Azad said, bamboo worth over Tk 50 crore could be produced if their shoots were not used as vegetable.

The consumption is increasing day by day with the rise in population and some day the Karnaphuli paper mill will face serious crisis of bamboo, its main raw material, he said.

District Forest Officer Shah-e-Alam said indiscriminate extraction of bamboo shoots should be stopped to help growth of the natural resource. Mere law can not stop its use as vegetable. It needs a massive awareness campaign alongside diversified and more profitable use of bamboo, he said.