Munna Rangdi from Kalmakanda Netrokona
Bimal Marak lives in Taranagar village of Lengura union in Kalmakanda upazila of Netrakona district. He is 72 years old and was freedom fighter during the liberation war of Bangladesh that took place in 1971. However, he is better known as traditional healer locally called ‘Kabiraj’.
The main source of income of his family giving treatment to the patients using his indigenous knowledge which is known as ‘Kabiraji’. He has been involved in this profession for 45 years. He treats many diseases. Asked what kind of changes patients get after receiving treatment, Rupa Rema said, “Some patients have got better here who have not got better even after seeing big doctors in different hospitals in the country.” Many patients who were not expected to survive have also recovered. But now the problem is the extinction of many medicinal plants in the nature. Some medicinal plants are no longer easily available in the nature. As a result, there are many problems in making medicine.’ She said that if some medicinal plants could be planted, it would be easier to make medicines.
However, in 2019, BARCIK provided the family net fencing for 30 large earthen tubs and fences for planting and preserving medicinal plants and trees. The soil tub was given because Bimal Marak said that some plants do not survive long if planted directly in the soil. But if planted in tubs, it can survive and be conserve for many days. Now, as a result of planting medicinal plants in tubs, it is very easy to make medicine by collecting these plants, said Rupa Rema. It used to take a long time to collect these plants. Before it is difficult to get medicinal plant nearby place but now as a result of planting medicinal plants in tubs, everything is available at hand.
Nonetheless, many extinct plants are no longer are found in the nature. As a result, medicines have to be made by purchasing some alternative ingredients from the market. The ingredients that the ‘Kobiraj’ need to buy from the market include: Jaitric, iron oxidant, menthol, chilli, nutmeg seeds, hartaki, bahera santhi etc. Medicines are made by mixing different types of plants with them. Bimal Marak has a dream of making a large medicinal garden so that he could conserve all those medicinal plants and protect them from getting extinct.
At present, Bimal Marak has suffered a stroke and his left arm and leg have become very numb. As a result, the number of patients has decreased a lot. Where there used to be 25-30 patients per day, now there are only 10-15 patients per day. But now his wife Rupa Rema is working as his assistant. She said, ‘the man who used to do karibaji was sick, and now most people go to the hospital. And the number of patients has decreased a lot due to the outbreak of corona virus as well. But Bimal Marak still has a dream of continuing serving people using his indigenous knowledge and medicinal plants that are available in his medicinal garden and nature.
Translated by Silvanus Lamin
