Staff Reporter, Kishoreganj :
Potters Haridash Pal, Sudhir Pal and Kritish Pal made various earthenware items for the Baishakhi Mela this year. But due to sudden lockdown, Baishakhi fair was not organized anywhere in Kishoreganj. In such a situation, the faces of the residents of Satpara Palpara in Nikli haor upazila of Kishoreganj have faded. Like many, they are now in trouble with their products.
Talking to the residents of Pallpara it was learned that the wheels of Pallpara do not turn as before. This cottage industry is lost in the evolution of time. In the Nikli haor area where thousands of families were involved in the profession, only a handful of families now hold the profession. Every year, as soon as Baishakhi came, various preparations were going on.
A team of reporters in Kishoreganj visiting the Nikli haor ares, talked Haridash Pal, Sudhir Pal, Kritish Pal, Sajni Rani and student Oishee Rani. They said 32 families of Nikpara’s Pallpara were waiting for the Baishakhi fair this time as well. Most of them used to wait for Baishakh every year by making earthenware items to sell. At the fair, they used to decorate their posara with toys, pots, dolls, flower tubs and other small utensils. But despite the preparations for this year’s Baishakh Fair and Bengali New Year, silence is going on in Palpara due to lockdown.
However, they were in a miserable condition for two years due to Covid-19, said Haridash Pal. Haridas also said the demand for earthenware utensils increases during the month of Boishakh. Sanki has a tradition of eating panta rice. They make a lot of dishes for him at this time of the year. Apart from this, even though there is no demand throughout the year, he has made flower tubs, showpieces, toy items, earthen banks etc. at this time.
Shant Pal, Kajal Pal, Niyati Rani and some others said that earlier hundreds of families were involved in pottery work in this neighborhood. Now the number of families involved in this industry has come down to 32. Many have left the profession, including industrial workers. Due to the decrease in demand, it has become a responsibility to survive in this profession today. Even after that, even though they worked around the Baishakh, this time their condition is bad. If this continues, this profession will be lost one day. So they sought the cooperation of the government.
Deputy Director of the Social Service, Kishoreganj Kazi Kamruzzaman told the New Nation that that the government is providing long-term and short-term training to potters under the project to improve the living standards of marginalized people in Bangladesh. At the end of the training they were given a grant of tk.16,OOO . According to them, about 2,000 people from 560 pottery families in the district are still involved in the industry. So far, 26 potters have been given grants by the social service office after the training. Gradually others will also be brought under this training.
