The sorry tale of conch shell industry

FE Team | Published: September 15, 2007 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

Rita Bhowmick
Ramakanta Dhar uses an iron bar to break a huge seashell that will eventually see the making of conch shell bracelets worn by married Hindu women.
Ramakanta, 48, has been in this work for the past 35 years. He endures bad smell from the raw shells as he works under the narrow stairs of a dilapidated building at Dhaka's Shankharibazar, breaking open the mouths of up to 200 shells in 1Â½ hours. He earns up to Tk 60 for breaking open the mouths of a hundred shells.
According to another artisan, Maran Chandra Bhadra, the work done by Ramakanta is the first step for making conch bracelets. The broken parts of the conch shells are sold to the artisans.
Says Maran, ``Three of us work here. We can earn up to Tk 60 for breaking 100 small shells and for bigger ones Tk. 80 for a hundred. If there is enough work, we can earn up to 300 a day. The conch shells are imported and so their prices go up whenever the US dollars become costlier here. Then there is less import of the shells and thus less work. As a result, we remain without work for days together. How can we run our families without work and income?"
Anukal Chandra Sen, 60, has been in this profession for many years and he is also involved in the association of Shankh cutting artisans.
Says he, ``The samity has four shankh cutting machines where 11 artisans work in turn. Each of us can cut 50 conches a day. It takes about four hours to cut a conch and another two hours to clean it."
He says, "I have been in this profession for the past 45 years. There are now days when we don't have any work. But I can't move to another job for lack of skill."
He says a conch can make two or three pairs of bracelets. For cutting a hundred conches a worker can earn Tk 75. Mahajans send the conches to the association for distribution of work.
Kesta Sen, 70, makes designs on conch bracelets sitting in the verandah of a shop. Even though he is too old to work, he does not lack devotion.
However, he says he can work only for four months of the year for lack of demand.
Bishwambar Nandi works with a conch-cutting saw. The 52-year-old artisan says he does not have work everyday. There is work usually from Baishakh to Ashwin. In good times, he can earn up to Tk 3,000 a month.
Khokon Nagh, another artisan at Shakharibazar, says he has inherited this work from his family. ``My grandfather was in this profession. So was my father," says the 25-year-old man as he takes time out from his intricate work of designing a pair of bracelets.
He works an average of 20 days a month as there is no work always to do. He is skilled enough to cut designs and inscriptions on 15 bracelets a day. The monthly income ranges from Tk 2,500 to Tk 3,000. The wages vary depending on the sizes and designs of the bracelets.
There are 12 conch shell shops in Shankharibazar and they import raw materials worth Tk 12 lakh from Sri Lanka. This involves a capital market of Tk 16 lakh, according to Pagal Nath Sur, president of the artisans' association.
He says the business leaves an average 5 per cent of profit. The market for conch ornament is limited as this is worn only by married Hindu women whose husbands are alive. Widows are not allowed to wear conch bracelets. Changes in the system of import of conch shells has made the raw materials costly affecting the people involved in this industry. Some are leaving the business, says Sur.
Says Sadananda Nag, owner of M Manasha Sankha Shilpalaya: "Bangladesh does not produce conch shells. This has to be imported. No part of a conch shell is useless. Even small particles can be used to make rings, powder and lime. We need support from the government to expand this industry."
Amiya Kumar Sur says, "Conch shell industry is one of the oldest cottage industries in Bangladesh. However, the business is not as good as it was in the past. The sale is low and thus earning is low. On the other hand, the prices of the raw materials have gone up."
â€” NewsNetwork