The brisk business of Mahasthangarh’s Kotkoti
A trip to Mahasthangarh, one of the country’s most significant historical sites, is incomplete without tasting the traditional Kotkoti, of which 200 maunds is sold per day on average
More than a 100 little eateries line the streets around Mahasthangarh in Bogura, one of the most significant archaeological sites in the country.
What all of the shops have in common is their display of the tantalising Kotkoti, the region's traditional food item.
Mahasthangarh has become the commercial hub of Kotkoti.
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It is very rare that visitors to the site and the Mazar (tomb) of Shah Sultan Mahisawar do not stop to taste the Kotkoti, according to locals and shop owners.
At least 250 maunds of Kotkoti are sold every day during the tourist season, which is between November to April.
On average, 200 maunds are sold every day throughout the year. As such, 6,000 maunds of Kotkoti per month and 72,000 maunds per year are sold there, according to the traders.
The average price of Kotkoti is Tk140 per kilogramme. Thus, annual sales can easily go up to Tk40.32 crore.
Traders, however, do not have any official data on the amount of the financial transaction per year.
The Kotkoti shops around the historic Mahasthangarh employ more than 500 people.
At least 40% of them are female, according to the traders. They are engaged in making the Kotkoti in different factories.
During a visit by this correspondent to the site 13 km north of Bogura town on the Dhaka-Dinajpur highway, he spoke to Mohammad Ayub Ali, who went to Mahasthangarh from Khelna village of Naogaon's Dhamuirhat. Ayub said people from his village reserved a bus and went to visit the Majar of Shah Sultan Mahisawar.
"If you do not buy the traditional and delicious Kotkoti, the visit remains incomplete," he told The Business Standard.
Hossain Ali, a resident of the same village, said the taste of the Kotkoti was unique. It was not found anywhere else in the country, he added.
Nasir Kotkoti Bhandar in Mahasthangarh is renowned for its delicious Kotkoti. Ful Mia has been working in this shop for about 40 years. He said, "Our Kotkoti is different from others. We sell at least 20 maunds of Kotkoti every day. The amount doubles on Fridays.
"The number of customers has increased due to our Kotkoti made from date molasses. The price of the date molasses Kotkoti is Tk200 per kg. Regular Kotkoti is sold at Tk120 to Tk160 per kg. However, the Kotkoti fried in dalda is more popular. It is sold at Tk140 per kg," he said.
Nasir Kotkoti Bhandar alone sells Kotkoti worth more than Tk1 lakh per day. The shop, which has been in operation for about 50 years, is now run by Nasir's son Shahidul Islam Ranju.
Ranju said 15 people work for his shop -- three of them in the outlet and 10 in the factory. There are six female workers in the factory.
Earlier, the Kotkoti business was on an upswing, but due to the rising prices of commodities, it is currently facing a crisis, he said. Many small entrepreneurs might be unable to continue operations due to low profits, added Ranju.
Salma Begum and her husband Mahbur have been running a makeshift shop of Kotkoti in Mahasthangarh for 12 years. Salma was brought up in the area. She learnt to make Kotkoti in her maternal grandparents' house during her childhood.
They started their business with a loan from an NGO. They are still bearing the burden of that debt.
Salma said, "I see on television that the government gives loans to many people. If the government had given us low-interest loans, we would not have to take high-interest loans from NGOs."
AKM Mahfuzur Rahman, deputy general manager of Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation, Bogura, said, "There is an option to provide low-interest loans to small entrepreneurs. We shall provide loans if the entrepreneurs apply. If necessary, training will be arranged too."
How to make Kotkoti
Traders and makers of Kotkoti said they did not have any idea about the history of Kotkoti. However, in the beginning, it was made with wheat flour. Earlier, it was only fried in oil but now ghee or dalda is also used.
The main ingredient in making Kotkoti is aromatic rice. This rice is first soaked in water for three to four hours. This makes the rice soft. Then, the water is strained. After 15 to 20 minutes, the rice is grounded. Then some oil is mixed with the flour to make dough. This dough is spread on any metal surface to make it hard. Later, it is cut into square shapes; each piece is about one-and-a-half square inches.
This raw Kotkoti is deep-fried in oil, ghee or dalda. It is taken out of the pan when it turns reddish. It is then soaked in a syrup of sugar or date molasses. After five minutes, it is ready to be served.
