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Dhaka Day by Day

Junk for Sale

by Shaner Khan
Only three months ago, Majnu used lo drift along the city streets, Jaywalking fashion. He used to carry a gunny bag And he used to'pick every little thing the city dwellers throw away Papers, cans, used pens, video cassette tape-nuts and bolts left by crazy people and what n< ' After collecting all these junks, he look them to
second-hand paper dealers everyday and sold them. That was his living.
Then he allowed himself a promotion in his career three months ago. From Junk supplier he turned Into a junk shop owner
Hoki itl this Junk shop Is not really a shop. His selling venue is located at BiJoy Nagar Road. For a daily bribe of Tk 4 given to certain police guards (whose motto Is law and iovc-for-money are blind) Majnu got a place on the footpath. His shop is spread over a gunny cloth.. There he pours all sorts of junks to catch the buyers’ eye.
Beside his footpath shop, another person. 40-year-old Nuruddin has a similar shop. Both of them buy their junk products from the second-hand paper dealers of the city at nominal prices.*
On his left are plastic bottles, mortin spray Sns. broken and mutilated sun glasses, spccta s frames, second-hand "555" batteries, national batteries, fourth-hand audio cassettes, in front of him lay peculiar types of spoons (buyers' favourite), obsolete pens, markers that hardly marks, one-time-use syringes, small-slzc motors, adaptors, cassette screws, parts of cars, trucks etc (who knows some may belong to submarines or air planes),- and on his right there are hair spray cans, perfume bottles etc.
The spoons are my customers' hot favouriU, he reveals. 1 sell.those for Tk 2 to Tk 4 depending on their sizes and designs." His buyers are mostly down and out people. Slum dwellers rickshawpullcrs rand then types But one shouldn I lx- surprised to find that middle class buyers also stalk golden deer there
I bought an adaptor for 30 taka from this shop last month." a 16-year old high school go “ u customer says while having a glance on M . m s shop I: vorks just fine. Now I'm look mg lor another one for my friend."
Another person stooping over Majnu s Junk discovers some thing very odd. Computer diskette. Only Tk 10 Another .odd ball: a Casio electronic calculator in a crushed body. Only Tk 10 "But it's useless!" the surprised middle class buyer tells Majnu. "Then 1 will sell ft to someone who knows its uscl" Majnu answers smartly.
Another office going middle-rank official while passlngby, stops. He picks up a multi-coloured ballpoint pen His eyes are saying 'eurekaT — how much for this P — Tk 4.
— That's too much. I'll give you two... no? OK. three? Well, OK here's your four taka. The pen fan pays off. inserts the ocn in his pocket where two attractive looking pens are shining, and hurries to his office.
So you think my inkless pens won't be sold?" Majnu smiles at cynics. "So you think nobody would buy my powerless batteries or calculators? Just you wait and see... people have strange demands you know."
Indeed people have strange demands. Through such demands Majnu cams his living. His every day income is over Tk 100. On his in coni - runs the lives of his wife and his younger brother. 'Someday. I 11 be the owner of a big shop," dreams fie. "Of junks, says the pragmatic one.