Hasina Banu Rice Mill

Out here in Patharpratima, things move a bit slower than in the city. Hasina Banu Rice Mill is a small operation in the Bamankhali area, close to Sagar. Being so near Gangasagar, we see a lot of people passing through during the pilgrimage times, but mostly it’s just us and the local villagers. The mill is right in the heart of the village life. We process the rice that grows in the fields around here. It is a basic setup, nothing modern or high-tech about it. Just some sturdy machines and a lot of floor space for drying the grain when the sun is out. When the monsoon hits, everything gets a bit damp and we have to be careful with the storage. I spend my days checking the quality of the paddy and making sure the bags are tied right. It gets very hot under the tin roof in the afternoons, so we usually take a long break then. The community here is tight, and everyone knows whose rice is being milled on any given day. We don't have a big staff, just a few local guys who help with the heavy lifting and the loading. It’s a quiet life, mostly, except for when the engines are roaring. We just try to get the work done so people have their food ready for the market. It’s not about being the biggest mill, just about getting the rice right.