Chalanbeel – Chalanbeel is formed by rivers, canals and beels. The historical Chalanbeel of Bangladesh is well-known as a storehouse of grain and fish to the people of the whole country. The 9 Upazilas of Chalanbeel are Tarash, Ullapara, Shahjadpur, Faridpur, Bhangura, Chatmohar, Gurdaspur, Singra and Atrai.
From ancient times to the late eighties, the importance of Patkua water in this region was immense; this well water was used for drinking and cooking. When you see the silver buckets made in the present-day villages of Bengal, you remember that Patkua was the main source of water for the people of ancient times. The scene of men and women in this area tying ropes to buckets and drawing water from one well after another was very charming. Some skilled craftsmen in the area were the craftsmen who dug these wells.
They used to make these wells with their skillful hands. With the touch of modernity, pure water can be obtained very easily by installing deep tube wells, shallow tube wells and sub-fish ball pumps, so today it is almost impossible to see the ancient tradition of wells. Therefore, this symbol of this ancient tradition is disappearing day by day from this area. In the past, this well usually met the need for pure water or water. Inside the shallow round hole dug in the ground, a round cage made of sand, stone and cement or made of burnt clay, sometimes made of bamboo, was used as a fence.
If you look at the pages of ancient tradition and history, you will see that this well was once the only source of pure water and was very well known in the Chalanbeel area. In ancient times, rural women did not get time to catch their breath due to their various activities. Due to the ravages of time, this well is disappearing from society day by day. People living in cities and the new generation of boys and girls will not know anything about it.
It will only be recorded in newspapers and story books, said the elders of the area. No one can yet tell the exact history of when the people of Bengal, inhabited by Bengalis, started using wells for drinking water.
However, the history of digging wells for the convenience of pure drinking water for the subjects during the time of the benevolent Emperor Ashok is known. Wells made of terracotta or stone and sand with a jute frame inside were rare. In ancient times, it is known that it was used only in the homes of wealthy people or kings and queens.
Later, during the Mughal period, under the patronage of the Mughal emperors and during the reign of Nawab Sher Shah of Bengal, there is a history of constructing a terracotta-lined well for travelers and passersby on the side of the road and in the neighborhoods of the residential areas for a large number of people. The well with a jute-lined well was also used as a symbol of the nobility of the people of that time. From ancient times to the eighties, the value of the well was immense.
The lower class of the society used to gather near the jute-lined wells of the wealthy class for drinking water. In the early eighties, under the government initiative, jute-lined wells were installed in the populated areas of the district and in the district headquarters. In the late eighties, when the increasing use of tube wells began, the use of the well gradually decreased, and the ancient tradition of the well was buried. For today’s third generation, the scene of drawing water from a well with a bucket is a complete fantasy; the use of wells in Bengal has long since ended. However, it is still a memory for the elders in Chalanbeel, and a well that continues to exist as a witness to the times. One such well was found in Binsara village of Tarash upazila of Sirajganj district. It was established in 1912 by Basubania, the father of the legendary heroine Behula Sundari.
It is in a dilapidated state due to lack of renovation and neglect. In ancient times, people from several villages used to come to get water, and there would be long lines to collect water. Perhaps a day will come in the future when the existence of this well will not be found in reality. Many believe that the ancient history of this well will be limited to paper and pen. The elders of the Chalanbeel area demand the lives of the people to maintain this ancient tradition with government support.
Mirza Abdur Rab Bulbul/enaf
