Once a source of endless joy for rural children, traditional clay toys are gradually losing their appeal in Sunamganj as plastic toys and mobile phones increasingly dominate children's leisure and entertainment.

Clay dolls, cows, birds, frogs, elephants, boats and miniature kitchen utensils were once among children's favourite playthings. During village fairs and religious festivals, children eagerly waited for the opportunity to buy their favourite clay toys, often persuading their parents to take them to the stalls.

During Kartik Puja, buying clay birds was a particular attraction, with children competing to get one before others. Small clay boats carrying burning oil lamps were also floated on water, creating cherished childhood memories for generations.

But those familiar scenes are gradually disappearing, leaving traditional potters struggling to preserve their ancestral craft and livelihood.

A recent visit to Shologhar Point in Sunamganj municipal town revealed rows of stalls displaying colourful clay toys and household items of different shapes and sizes.

Sellers were sitting behind their handmade products, waiting for customers. Some parents were browsing the collections with their children, while others picked up the toys and recalled memories of their childhood. A few children were also seen choosing toys of their own liking.

Despite the variety of products on display, sellers expressed disappointment over declining sales.

Every year, around the end of Kartik, temporary clay toy stalls are set up at Shologhar Point on the occasion of Bholabholi. However, the number of stalls has declined over the years, according to traders.

This year, only around seven stalls have been set up in the area. All the sellers are residents of Badarpur village under Beheli union of Jamalganj upazila, who come to the town annually with clay toys and household items made by their own hands.

For 38-year-old potter and seller Kitu Chandra Paul, making and selling clay products is more than just a means of earning a living. It is an ancestral profession passed down through several generations of his family.

He said he had learned the craft by watching his father, grandfather and other family members, and continued the tradition despite the changing market.

"Clay products used to sell much better in the past. But the demand has declined with the growing availability of plastic toys and other manufactured goods. Still, we make toys every year and bring them here during this season. Sales have fallen, but the business has not completely disappeared. We will continue as long as people are willing to buy our products," Kitu said.

He makes various items, including clay cows, birds, frogs and elephants, using skills and techniques inherited from his ancestors.

However, rising production costs and declining demand have made the profession increasingly difficult to sustain. Even on a good day, Kitu said, his profit ranges between Tk 200 and Tk 500, making it difficult to support his family.

He is also worried about the future of the traditional craft, as his children are pursuing education but have little interest in continuing the family profession.

Although generations of his family have been involved in pottery, he fears the tradition may end with him as the younger generation turns towards other occupations.

For some customers, however, clay toys remain much more than ordinary playthings. They represent a connection to childhood memories and a disappearing rural culture.

Customer Sushen Chandra said buying clay toys had been an exciting childhood experience for him. He recalled how he and other children would eagerly ask their parents to buy miniature clay cooking pots, cows, boats and other toys when potters arrived in their localities.

Recalling the excitement surrounding Kartik Puja, Sushen said children once competed to buy clay birds, particularly on the morning of the festival.

Such scenes are now rarely seen, he added.

Sushen blamed children's growing dependence on mobile phones for their declining interest in traditional toys and outdoor activities.

Children now spend much of their time indoors using mobile devices instead of playing outdoors or exploring traditional games, he said, adding that this was distancing them not only from clay toys but also from rural traditions and childhood experiences.

Another customer, Krishna Barman, visited the stalls to buy clay toys for his children, hoping to introduce them to the playthings he enjoyed during his own childhood.

He said his son had already bought five clay cows and was interested in purchasing more if he liked the other items.

His enthusiasm suggests that traditional clay toys have not entirely lost their appeal. For many people, they continue to symbolise childhood nostalgia, cultural heritage and simple pleasures that modern entertainment cannot easily replace.

Although the potters of Badarpur are struggling with shrinking markets and uncertain prospects, their annual presence at Shologhar Point reflects their determination to keep an age-old tradition alive.

For them, every clay toy sold is not merely a small source of income but also a reminder of a craft that has shaped their family identities and rural cultural heritage for generations.