'Our predicament is manifold': The last of the traditional Dhaka bakers

Oli Mahajan is no more, but his bakery is still there, with its appearance a bit improved. Oli Mahajan knew how to make bread, cakes and biscuits – he was the chief baker of his own factory. He started the factory near the Martyred Intellectuals Memorial 40 years ago.

Initially, there were only 6-7 items, now Pushpa Bakery manufactures more than 35 items, including 20 varieties of biscuits. There are also salted, toasted, ghee-fried biscuits and large Hawaiian biscuits. Along with the pound cake, you will also get the topping cake.

Now his eldest son is in charge of Pushpa Bakery and Confectionery. 20 contract hawkers deliver the bakery's products to stores.

Although most of the sales occur through hawkers, there are five showrooms. Shah Alam works at a showroom in Fakirbari. He has been here for 15 years. Compared to earlier, their sales have increased, but their profits have decreased, Shah Alam said. The price hike of goods is to blame, he added.

"The bread that we sell now for Tk70 was Tk20, 10 years ago," Shah Alam said. When asked if they are compromising on quality, he said, "I can't deny, otherwise, we will not be able to pay the employees, let alone make any profit.'

Shah Alam informed us that they give the hawkers the products at a fixed price. They have to pre-order the items they want a day earlier. The hawkers supply products to tea shops and neighbourhood grocery stores, said Shah Alam.

Oli Mahajan did not like the gas stove

Shah Alam said that it is no longer possible to make products in wood stoves in Dhaka. Most of the factories are located in residential areas. Wood stoves produce a lot of smoke. 

"Now there are gas ovens, dough-making machines and packaging machines. Production has also increased. If you work traditionally, you will fall behind. Our mentor [Oli Mahajan] saw them at the end, but he wasn't particularly fond of them. He used to say that the items would not be well made with such methods. We also realise that the quality of the product is not what it used to be, but there is no way," he continued.

What is the impact of corporate houses joining this business, we asked. Shah Alam said that the pressure is increasing. "Now you will see Tk5 biscuit and cake packets hanging in shops. Ours is an old business—local people know us—and we can neither raise prices overnight nor compromise quality. Our predicament is manifold."

"And you will not find good artisans like before. They know something, but the skilful craftsmen are becoming a rarity day by day," he added.

Sales increased but business did not expand 

Badal Bakery also started in the early 1980s. The founder, Haji Abdul Mateen, is now very old. But he still comes to the shop whenever he can. When it started, Mirpur 10 was not very populated. 

Wholesalers would come from Jinjira to buy products. They would carry cakes, bread and biscuits in baskets placed on their heads and then walk and cry: 'Take cake, take bread, take biscuits!'

Abdul Mateen said that sales have increased, but the rhythm of the business has stopped. Shop rents have gone up, prices of goods are increasing by leaps and bounds, and gas stoves are not making good quality products. Abdul Matin is disappointed.

Selim Reza has not forgotten Honey Loaf 

Honey Loaf Bakery on Eskaton Road was established in the early 1980s. Salim Reza studied at the university in the mid-80s. If, for some reason, he came to Banglamotor or Moghbazar, he used to eat something at Honey Loaf. 

Just as he came to Moghbazar to repair his car the other day, he walked the rest of the way and sat at his favourite bakery, wanting to reminisce about the old days. 

After graduation, Salim Reza took a job in a consulting firm at Dilu Road. He used to come here often with colleagues. "There were not many bakeries back then, and on top of that, the quality of their food was good. We would also take food from here for various functions at our office. I came here once with my wife," Selim recalled.

Two age-old bakeries

Prince of Wales in Laxmibazar and Anand Bakery in Abul Hasnat Road are  century-old bakeries that are still in production in Dhaka 

It is said that the founder of the Prince of Wales bakery came from Wales of Great Britain (or a Briton named Wales in another opinion). Later, his artisan, Buddhu Mistry, bought it. It is still managed by Buddhu Mistry's successors. They are credited with making Dhaka's first wedding cake and Christmas cake, jam cake, cheesecake and love letter cakes are their notable products.

Anand Bakery is also said to be more than 100 years old. It was established in 1911 by an Englishman near Lalkuthi in Farashganj. Chan Mia bought the bakery when the English owner left after the partition of Bengal. He was a good baker. He used to make bread and biscuits at night and peddle them during the day. 

Some days he would go to Jinjira, crossing Buriganga, some other days he would go to Tongi, crossing Turag. At some point, the reputation of Chan Mia's bread biscuits spread. He opened a permanent shop named Anand Confectionery in the 1950s. After the independence of the country, Chan Mia's successors opened branches in Chawkbazar, Mohakhali and Wari.

Some other traditional bakeries in Dhaka are Kusum Bakery, Yusuf Bakery, Haque Bakery, Prince Bakery, etc.

The current state of 'bakery' affairs 

The country's bakery market is worth Tk8,000 crore. Local demand is met entirely by local production, with some exports. Big companies like Olympic, Pran, Partex, Haque, Nabisco, Bangaj, Akij, Ispahani, Cocola, etc are expanding their businesses. There are hundreds of automated bakeries nowadays. 60% of the total market is under their control. 

This begs the question: will the traditional bakeries survive?

According to a survey by the Bangladesh Bread, Biscuit, and Confectionery Manufacturers' Association, the number of traditional bakeries in 2008 was 5,700. In 2019, that number decreased to 4,500. But the demand has risen several times. 

In 2008, per capita demand was less than half a kilogram, now it is more than two kilogram. The number of automated factories is increasing every year. 

On the other hand, market volatility is having a direct impact on traditional bakeries. As the manager of Urmi Bakery, located behind Purvi Cinema Hall in Mirpur, said, 'The market situation is unusual. The market seems to be in the hands of an invisible force, they control the prices of goods as they wish, but we cannot raise the prices of bread and biscuits as we wish. We have many loyal customers, we have to think 10 times before raising the price."