As Pahela Baishakh approaches, 62-year-old Achiya Khatun sits in her courtyard, shaping clay with slow, careful hands.

A few pots lie drying in the sun along the bank of the Halda River. There is work, but not the kind she once knew.

“Before, we worked like this the whole year,” said the potter from Kulalpara in Narayanhat, under Fatikchhari upazila of Chattogram.

“Now, we only make these during Baishakh,” said Achiya, who has spent most of her life in the profession.

In recent years, pottery has ceased to be her family’s main source of income. Her husband, Sultan Ahmed, and their son now run a small grocery shop nearby.

Like many others in the village, she returns to clay only when the Bengali new year arrives.

Kulalpara was once known as a village of potters. More than 200 households produced clay items—pitchers, plates, and traditional toys. Ahead of Baishakh, the entire neighbourhood would be busy, with courtyards filled with wet clay and rows of drying pots.

That scene has largely disappeared.

Now, only 10 to 15 families remain involved in pottery, and even they work for a short period each year.

Most residents have left the profession, moving into other work—small businesses, driving, or jobs abroad and outside the village.

For 40-year-old Mohammad Ibrahim, the decision to leave pottery was straightforward. There is no steady income in this, he said adding, "We work hard, but we cannot earn enough.”

Ibrahim now works as a farmer. And the shift did not happen overnight.

Former potters say demand for clay products has declined over the years, as plastic and factory-made items have become more common. At the same time, the cost of collecting soil has increased due to limited availability, making it harder to sustain the craft. Younger generations are also losing interest.

“My son does not want to do this. He is studying. He wants a different life,” said Mohi Uddin, another potter from the para.

Even among those who continue, the nature of work has changed. Some now use moulds instead of shaping items entirely by hand, in an effort to produce more in less time. However, such adaptations remain limited.

During a recent visit, this correspondent observed that Baishakh still brings a brief revival. For a few weeks, clay items are made for the festival, echoing a past that once defined the village.

But for most in Kulalpara, pottery is no longer a way of life.

“We do this now just for Baishakh,” said Mohi Uddin, looking at the half-finished pots beside him. “After that, we go back to our other work.”

“We take these clay items to Baishakh fairs to sell, but business is not like before,” said Khokon Rudra, a vendor from Hathazari.

“Many people come and look, but fewer actually buy. Costs are going up, but sales are not, so it is becoming difficult to continue.”