Brahmanbaria, May 21 -- ul-Azha draws closer, the rhythmic clanging of hammers on glowing iron has transformed blacksmith villages in Brahmanbaria's Nabinagar upazila into bustling hubs of activity.

From dawn until deep into the night, blacksmiths are working tirelessly to meet the growing demand for sacrificial tools such as cleavers, machetes, knives and traditional cutting blades used during the Eid cattle sacrifice.

For many of the artisans, the annual festival season is the busiest and most profitable period of the year.

"In the rest of the year, work remains limited. But before Eid-ul-Azha, we hardly get time to breathe," said Shyamal Karmakar, a local blacksmith, while shaping a red-hot blade with repeated hammer strikes.

Acros...