Moheshkhali Island in Cox’s Bazar is famous for its betel leaf cultivation. Here, betel leaves are folded in a unique way—so meticulously that it appears to be an art form. A special type of bamboo basket is used to store these carefully folded leaves.
Between Moheshkhali’s eight unions, betel leaf is cultivated in six—Shaplapur, Kalarmarchhara, Hoanak, Kutubjum, Boro Maheshkhali, and Chhoto Maheshkhali. However, due to salinity in the soil, betel leaf farming is impossible in Matarbari and Dhalghata.
The craftsmanship in folding these betel leaves is truly mesmerizing. For generations, the people of Bangladesh’s only hilly island, Moheshkhali, have been preserving and practicing this remarkable tradition.
By Abdur Rashid Manik
Photo: Abdur Rashid Manik
