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Friday, 29 December 2006, 09:48 GMT

In pictures: Bangladeshi artisan anniversary

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In one of the most inaccessible areas of the old part of the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, an unusual anniversary is being celebrated. (Pictures by Abdullah Al Muyid)

Jewellery maker in Dhaka

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It is 340 years since the French traveller, Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, came to the city and wrote about a community which made jewellery out of sea-shells and other materials.

Building in old Dhaka used by jewellery makers

Building in old Dhaka used by jewellery makers

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Most of the Shankha (conch shell) craftsmen live in buildings which are hundreds of years old and dilapidated by the city's intense humidity and pollution.

Craftsman on the balcony of his house

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The situation is so bad that Dhaka's council has said that around 91 old buildings - mostly inhabited by the craftsmen - will have to be demolished because they are "old and unsafe".

Dhaka craftsman at work

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The jewellery is made and designed by craftsmen using tools and skills passed down to them by their ancestors. It's a way of life that has changed little over the last three centuries.

Shankha craftsman at work

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More than 140 families used to work in the trade a few years ago, but that number is now diminishing because of price rises and the availability of the low-price "plastic shankha".

Hindu shrine

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The craftsmen are mostly Hindu and fiercely proud of their heritage, even though many admit it is becoming harder and harder to keep family businesses running successfully.

Shankha jewellery

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The end-product is beautiful jewellery often worn by Hindu women at wedding ceremonies and by a growing number of middle-class Muslim Bangladeshi women.

Shop selling shankha jewellery

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If the craftsmen are to survive another 300 years, many now realise they must market their products more effectively and think about exporting their handiwork to the West.

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