Bell-metal utensils disappearing fast from Chandpur

The common utensils of the bell-metal industry, which were once very popular for household use in both urban and rural areas, are disappearing fast from the shops, families as well as society.

Now-a-days, with technological changes, these articles have become obsolete in the day-to-day life. Present generations are not at all familiar with these items too.

Once these were taken as favoured items in each family. They had wide-scale use in Chandpur's social and other types of functions too.

In the past, artisans were seen awfully busy making pitchers, water glasses, plates, pots, rice pots etc. from bell metal in the smithies.

In every social function, a pitcher made of bell metal was considered as a valuable gift. People attending social functions like wedding, circumcision ceremony, birthday etc used to present a new and colourful pitcher made of bell-metal, which impressed all present. It was considered as a better as well as an attractive gift.

In every household, the use of bell-metal items was a regular scene too.

It is still a traditional belief that bell-metal utensils are good for health and can cure many diseases in human body.

But for the past five decades, the use of bell-metal utensils has been on the wane remarkably in Chandpur district.

Chandpur town's century-old Pal Bazar's shopkeepers Abdur Rahman (60) and Ruhul Amin (34) told the FE that almost no shopkeepers keep the bell-mental utensils in their shops. Because almost no one asks for these items to buy as bell metal items are out of use and are too costly; so most people can hardly afford to buy these.

Milon Tripura, a young salesman in a bell-metal shop at Kalibari, said a medium sized pitcher of bell-metal costs about Tk4,000. It is a very slow item. And so, no utensil traders keep bell-metal utensils and pitcher items in their shops.

When contacted, Nirmal Das and Mofijul Islam, both salesmen of utensil shops on Cumilla Road and in Chandpur town's Puranbazar-a famous business hub since British era, echoed the views.

Once in Puranbazar, copper or bell-metal items used to be made just behind the bell-metal shops and then were sold every now and then to the people of all walks of life coming from remote areas to the shops on Nitaiganj Road and in adjacent areas.

Now-a-days, only schools, colleges and madrasas use bell-metal made bells to ring bells for holding classes and ending classes and exams on time.

No smiths who were mostly from the Hindu community are also seen now to work for making bell-metal utensils like pitchers, pots, plates, pans, frying pans etc. used in the kitchen.

Despite frantic efforts, no bell-metal smiths were found to talk about their life- style in the present changed situation of this modern age. They have reportedly changed their professions for survival.

In almost all shops on Netaiganj Road, Puranbazar Fire Station Road and in Kasha Potti area in Puranbazar of the town, bell-mental utensils used to be sold around four to five decades ago.

But with the passage of time and due to widespread marketing and random use of plastic and silver items and also because of high prices of copper and lack of government patronisation , the bell-metal industry ground to a halt. The same condition prevails in the famous rural haats and bazars in eight upazilas of the district too.

In haats and bazars such as Baburhat, Mohamaya, Bakila, Munshirhat, bell- metal utensils are not seen at all.

Shyama Ghose, Sampad Saha and many other veteran and elderly people, however said, "Government patronisation is a must to bring back the lost glory of this traditional industry.''

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