Pahela Baishakh paper flowers transform Naogaon village

Of bright petals and basic design, paper flowers are, at first glance, the essence of simplicity. But on festival days like Pahela Baishakh, the Bangla New Year celebrated on 14 April each year, these elegant decorations bring added joy to mark the occasion and there's nothing humble about that. Indeed in the tiny village of Jamgram in Bhopara union of Naogaon's Atrai upazila, paper flowers signify yet more. There, flower making is a cottage industry that has made an entire far-flung village unexpectedly bloom.

Jamgram used to be underdeveloped and forgotten. It was a crime-prone area. Thankfully, such days have been left behind, the future looking up. “Many people in Bangladesh know about Jamgram nowadays,” says resident Rukhsana Akter, proudly. “Our village has become renowned for handmade flowers.”

According to locals, at first a few Hindu families began to craft the flowers from paper, cloth and the sponge wood of shola trees, as a means to generate income; but as few people knew about the product, it wasn't easy to find sales. Over time however, as more and more families took up the craft, the village's reputation for quality handmade flowers gradually grew.

 “The craftsmanship is very good here, and demand for the product is high,” says Azhar Ali, a buyer from the port city. “I often travel to Jamgram ahead of festivals in Chittagong to buy their handmade flowers.”

 “These days, nearly a thousand families from every community within our village are directly involved in flower making,” says Atahar Ali, an elderly man from Jamgram.

It takes the efforts of all family members to meet the high demand in the lead up to Pahela Baishakh. Rose, sunflower, water lily, daisy or hibiscus: in a room or under the shade of a tree in the yard, many people across the village are busy at this time, decorating replica petals, leaves and stalks.

 “Demand is also there at village fairs across the country,” says Chitta Roy, another paper flower artisan. “It's a profitable business. We can make up to double our usual income ahead of major festivals.”

Another flower maker, Joni Islam, says that many locals took NGO loans as a means to enter the business. “We have to pay a good proportion of our profits in NGO interest at the end of each month,” he says, wishing that government interest-free loans were available. “With a little government help this industry could truly flourish.”

Local lawmaker Md Israfil Alam agrees. “Jamgram's artwork is gradually becoming famous nationwide,” he says. “People from every strata of society appreciate the beauty and skill inherent in these craftworks. I hope the government can arrange training and financial assistance to encourage further development of the industry.” Indeed, while talking with local journalists recently, he pledged government support.

Yet paper flowers might best be seen as the start rather than the completion of Jamgram's transformation. Still now villagers have no grid electricity or sealed roads. “The dirt roads are particularly hazardous during the monsoon,” says local Md Asadul Islam. Should such infrastructure development occur, it will be in no small part thanks to the simplicity of the paper flowers that have put once-forgotten Jamgram firmly upon the national map.