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Pabna pottery sector fading away


Published : 30 Nov 2022 07:43 PM

The potters of Pabna's Chatmohar upazila are worried about the survival of the profession due to various reasons like shortage of clay soil, increase in the price of other materials including fuel, people's aversion to clay products. As a result, hundreds of years of tradition have not completely disappeared, but are gradually shrinking.

It has been found that once upon a time in various villages of the upazila including Belgachi, Gowdipur, Mirzapur, Bothor of Bilchalon Union, Baluchar Mahalla of Municipal Sadar, Haripur Union Sadar, Moolagram, and other villages of the upazila including Nimaichra Union of Pabna Chatmohar, various handicrafts were made. Hundreds of families were involved in this industry. Pottery business was booming then. Their business has declined over time.

Haripur village potter Chittaranjan Pal said, silver and plastic products are easily available, people are losing interest in buying clay pots. Earlier we did not have to buy land. Now you have to buy land to obtain soil. The price of soil is also higj. Clay soil has become difficult to obtain. Sambhunath Pal of the same village said that once they used to make clay pots. But now he moved away from there and made clay jute for making toilet tank. Seven-eight families in Haripur are now making a living by making jute for toilet tanks of various sizes. Not able to make much profit by increasing the price of soil, chalk and labor. They are worried about the increase in the price of essential daily products even if they survive in any way.

The mortuary artists of Belgachi and Baharampur villages said that apart from making clay ornaments, they also make various idols including Durga, Swaraswati, Kali, Lakshmi, Mansa, Shiva Tagore, Vishwakarma, Ganesha on the occasion of worship. These are seasonal. They are suffering materially due to the decrease in the demand of clay products. He is unable to leave his ancestral profession and it has become difficult to hold on to it. Many have changed professions and moved to other professions. Those who are still involved are clinging to the industry in some way.

Nimaichra Union Parishad Chairman Noorjahan Begum Mukti said that the economic condition of the families involved in pottery is not stable. Although the price of pottery materials has increased, the price of Hari Patil has not increased so much. Moreover, the demand for the clay products they make has also decreased. Despite that, they are making a living by clinging to this profession.