If you pass by the Faculty of Fine Arts of Dhaka University, you may hear melodious sound of flute floating in the air, creating the perfect ambiance of the creative mood prevailing there.

Rubel, the 31-year-old flute-maker, plays the sound, which is embedded in Bangalis’ souls for centuries, to attract customers.

He has the gift of making flutes himself and has chosen the rare profession of selling flutes.

Born and raised in Dhaka, he learnt to play and make flutes from his father. 

Talking about the process of making flutes, he said: “We usually collect bamboos from Chittagong and Assam. It is important to choose the right material. Usually it takes eight hours to make a well tuned flute.”

His grandfather used to make flutes too. But it was his father who took it as a profession and started to sell flutes on the streets of Dhaka University 40 years ago.

Rubel’s floating shop offers different kinds of flutes. Their prices range from Tk 50 to Tk 5,000.

Apart from flute he also sells indigenous musical instruments like Ektara and Dugdugi and colourful beads.