Potters in Hakimpur upazila’s Hili area are diversifying their products, making modern clay mosquito coil holders and other decorative and household items to keep pace with changing consumer preferences and compete with plastic and melamine goods.
During a visit to Kumar Para in Chandipur village near the Hili border on Sunday, local potters said they were introducing innovative designs and attractive products to preserve their ancestral profession as demand for traditional earthenware declined.
The artisans are now producing household utensils and decorative items with colourful finishes and polished designs. Among their newer products, clay mosquito coil holders have gained popularity among customers.
Potters Yogesh Roy and Arati Bala said declining sales of traditional clay pots and pans had forced them to explore alternative products. They said the coil holders had become popular because customers considered them a safer option for burning mosquito coils.
Demand also rises during power outages, when mosquitoes become a nuisance and people rely on coils at night, they added.
Md Khademul Haque, a resident of Bagmara village in Hakimpur, said he previously had no dedicated container for burning mosquito coils and had to place them on plates or other household items.
“I like the clay coil holder because it has a lid and a stand for placing the coil,” he said.
The newly designed holders feature perforated lids that allow smoke to escape and central stands to hold the coils. Some can accommodate several coils at a time.
Potter Bimal Pal said innovation was essential for traditional artisans to survive competition from plastic products.
“Unless we introduce new products, it will be difficult for us to survive in competition with plastic goods,” he said.
He added that the holders were designed to contain burning coils and falling ash, helping reduce the risk of fire spreading.
Another potter, Anik Pal, said they had recently expanded production to include decorated drinking glasses, buckets of different sizes and plates.
The artisans are using attractive designs to appeal to customers, particularly younger buyers, who increasingly purchase clay products for decoration and as hobby items.
Anik said growing interest in the new products had brought some relief to local potters and renewed their hopes of sustaining their traditional craft.
The potters have urged the government to provide support to sustain the pottery industry.
Dinajpur Sadar Upazila Social Services Officer Md Mainul Islam said there is no specific government project aimed at supporting the pottery industry.
However, the Ministry of Social Welfare provides assistance to members of the pottery community through various social welfare programmes, including old-age allowances, medical assistance and financial grants.
He said he had learned that the government was considering launching specific projects to support and preserve the traditional pottery industry.
He added that various government departments were already providing support to the sector in different ways.