Kurigram potters need tech, financial help for survival

A potter makes earthenware at Kumarpara in Kurigram town. PHOTO: STAR

Potters belonging to 56 families of Paal community at Kumarpara of Krishnapur village under Kurigram municipality are passing hard days as their products are of no longer in popular demand.

Now they are in need of financial and technical help to diversify their products to meet changing taste of the customers.

Visiting Kumarpara a couple of days ago, this correspondent found male and female potters busy making different kinds of clay materials including well-rings, pitchers, big disks (locally called chari), stocks, plates, toys, earth-bank, flower-tubs etc.

“Most of the pottery items have lost demand as plastic things have occupied their place. Now we are giving preference to make clay articles like terracotta, ceramic tiles and flower tubs,” said potter Shobha Rani Paal, 45.

"We do not have even suitable places for selling our products in markets. We have been selling the items beside a dustbin at Zia Bazar of Kurigram town for last several years,” said potter Bisnu Kumar Paal.

“It has become very difficult to survive with this profession. We need motor-run wheel-machines for making different clay articles to give them touch of modernity, but we cannot afford it," said potter Shaudha Rani Paal, 75.

Liton Chandra Paal, 23, urged the authorities concerned for arranging easy term loan from agencies like BSCIC to help them sustain the traditional profession.