Commercial husking mills, or small rice mills, began operating in Dinajpur—once known as the city of rice—in the 1980s. Paddy used to arrive at these mills from districts including Mymensingh and Netrokona, and the business flourished steadily.

After 2000, the number of such mills rose to more than 2,500. However, after 2015, the industry gradually began losing its prominence.

Field visits and conversations with small mill owners and workers revealed that this labour-intensive industry is now on the verge of disappearing due to labour and capital shortages, growing demand for polished rice, technological limitations, competition from large corporate firms and strict government policy conditions.

A visit to a husking mill in Dinajpur’s Raniganj area showed little activity there. Its owner, Hafizur Rahman, told Prothom Alo that he had established the mill on nearly two acres of land around 1990. During harvesting seasons in the past, 15 male and female workers regularly worked there. Paddy steaming, drying and milling continued day and night.

Now, not only is the labour shortage acute, but market demand for the reddish rice they produce has also declined. The government, too, no longer purchases rice from such mills.