Ashes widely used as detergent in Bangladesh

DHAKA, March 29 (Xinhua) — Some old practices are still surviving in Bangladesh, competing with modern inventions for kitchen. Ashes produced in conventional home-made oven and modern detergent are in a queer combination in the country.

Ashes are sold by vendors in the residential districts of the capital Dhaka. Nobody can say exactly when the ashes used as detergent started, but it is sure the practice has a history of centuries.

Decades ago, ashes were not sold as they were produced in every house by firing wood or straw for cooking. But ashes are not produced in townships where natural gas is available.

Ashes are being used for cleaning utensils in kitchen and preparing for cooking  fish. Tania, a domestic helper in Mirpur residential district, said, “You can’t cut some fish without ashes. “

“Ashes are a must for cleaning utensils. It is also essential for cutting fish for cooking. modern detergent does not work so good like ashes,” she added.

Joshna, another domestic helper working in the same area, said, ” Ashes reduces our labor to a great extent in cleaning utensils. Detergent can’t do it like ashes. So I prefer ashes to detergent.”

In rural areas of Bangladesh, ashes are not sold by vendors as almost all households use firewood or straw for cooking and produce enough ashes they need. Farmers also often use ashes as alternative to fertilizer in their crop lands.

One can easily find the vendors selling ashes in almost all residential districts as the vendors are peddling with a gunnybag full of ashes on head and calling out to attract attention.

Afazudddin, an ashes vendor, told Xinhua that nowadays it has become difficult to collect enough ashes for sale, as rice mills are using gas or coal to process paddy because of Bangladesh government’s ban on firewood.

The prices of ashes is now on the rise in the mills. Afazuddin said the money he earns can meet the demand of his four-member family. he sells one kilogram ashes at around Taka 40 while he purchases at about Taka 15.

Afazuddin said the number of vendors are now dwindling as source of ashes is shrinking day by day. Many vendors are shifting to other professions.

Nobody knows how long this convention will last in Bangladesh, but it is true that modern science cannot replace the conventional practice overnight. (1 U.S. dollar equals 82 taka)

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