Muhammad Amdad

Locally called ‘Chatal’ and these rice mills thrive on the labor of the females. Thus they are often termed ‘Chatal Konnya’ or the daughter of rice mills. At least 12,000 such ‘daughters’ toil night and day for a mere daily wage of Tk 15-16, working on a 12-hour shift round the clock.

They come from the poorest families of Mymensingh, Kishoreganj, Amtali of Barisal, Naria of Shariatpur, and Koira of Satkhira district. The ratio of male to female workers is 1:4 in an average mill. The females usually dry and husk the paddy and pack the husked rice into sacks under the supervision of a head worker.