Barishal potter innovates Tk 1 single-use clay cup
Amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, drinking from communal cups at traditional tea stalls and so on is recognized as a potential threat of infection. However, a one-time use cup manufactured from clay has opened the entranceway to new possibilities.
Tapan Pal, a 45-year-old potter from Shimuleshwar village under Jhalakati Sadar of Jhalakati district, is rolling out an eco-friendly cup manufactured from clay that costs only Tk 1 a bit.
These clay cups will be delivered to select tea stalls located in Barishal city on an experimental basis and if the response is good, all other tea shops in the region will be introduced to the use of such earthen wares, Pal said.
"Sales decreased significantly over the past six months as a result of Covid-19 outbreak. So, I am trying to survive through this innovation," he added.
Pal mainly retails various self-made pottery items such as bird nests and toys.
He usually makes several toys for the Mansaghat fair, which commemorates Manasha Puja for the Hindus at Srabon Sankranti, but he only were able to sell off half of his stock these times as most of the people stayed in the home because of the coronavirus.
There are two other potters in the village apart from Pal. However, they are not habituated to go with the marketplace trend and for that reason only make traditional items.
Sumon, who owns a tea stall at the Hospital Road area in Barishal city, said although one-time use paper cups cost just Tk 1 per piece, he would prefer using earthen cups if it costs the same.
Bisweshwar Pal, a veteran potter from the Baufal pottery hub and an adviser to the Mritshilpi Sammelon o Sammanana, a welfare organisation for traditional potters, said that the country's potters were in dire straits through the outbreak's peak between March-June.
Apart from continuing their traditional work, they attended forward with new types of products, he added.
According to Bisweshwar, over 2,000 families are involved in numerous ways with the pottery business, such as for example idol making for Hindu families in Barishal division.
In Barishal, there are many of pottery intensive villages but Baga and Baufal in Patuakhali district are the key hubs for earthen ware products.
Many clay ware items manufactured in Baufal are exported each year, making the upazila a brand for pottery products.
Chinmoyi Sikder, associate professor of the department of ceramics and faculty of fine arts at Dhaka University, said recycleables for pottery are plentiful and they will manage to earn their livelihood through the trade if indeed they receive proper modern training.
Jalilur Rahman, deputy general manager of the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC), said they are planning of giving better training to the potters.
"If earthen cups are introduced atlanta divorce attorneys tea stall, the pottery industry would be greatly benefitted," said Nisar Hossain, a researcher of the clay artisan community and dean of the Institute of Fine Arts at Dhaka University.
