Chuadanga potters count days in distress

CHUADANGA, Jan 18: Over two hundred potters of Chuadanga district are passing hard times and struggling for their livelihood and existence as their traditional products are in low demand in the local markets as lack of marketing facilities and price hike of raw materials created such hardship.

The potters are facing various difficulties at present. They usually make different domestic utensils like pitchers, cooking pots, flower vases, plates and bowls. But these traditional earthen items have lost their appeal and attraction in the face of aggressive modern technology as utensils made of steel, melamine and plastic have become popular among the users in the district.
"At present I earn hardly Tk 140 to 150 a day which is even less than the earning of a day labourer," said a potter Mithun Paul of village Purapara under Damurhuda upazila.
Lamenting over previous days, he said, "I could earn much and led my family decently by selling my products in the village as well as other districts .But those golden days have gone forever," he added.
Potters of the district called upon the government and non-government organisations to extend financial help and take necessary measures to protect their traditional cottage industry and save the potters of Chuadanga district.  
Huge smuggled drugs seized
A BSS report says: Members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) seized a huge quantity of Indian smuggled drugs worth over Taka 385.6 million from different border areas of the district during last nine months.
The BGB sources said during the period, the BGB members seized 15,151 bottles of wine, 68 Kilograms of ganja, 33,364 bottles of Phensidyl and 2.13 Kgs of heroine.
A total of 1,267 cases were filed with respective police stations in these connections and some 84 alleged smugglers were arrested during the period, the sources added.