Selling nostalgia: Bangali heritage finds new life in Chattogram cafés, shops

A hurricane lamp hangs beside shelves of books. Clay pitchers, hand fans and a farmer's mathal sit among painted walls, flower pots and traditional artwork. It feels like a museum, but it's not – it's a restaurant in Chattogram's Jamal Khan.

The scene reflects a wider trend taking shape across parts of the city, where restaurants and small craft and lifestyle shops are turning to Bangali heritage to shape their spaces and draw customers.

The shift is visible across different parts of Chattogram. Alongside businesses in Jamal Khan, similar concepts can be found in Agrabad, Khulshi, GEC, 2 No Gate, Enayet Bazar, and Link Road. They include Chief Lounge in Agrabad, Honest Cafe in Jamal Khan, Shaheb Babur Boithok Khana on Link Road, Wabi Sabi and Cavien in Khulshi, and Zavour in Enayet Bazar, alongside locally named businesses such as Uthan, Peyari Tehari and Mejban Khaile Aiyun.

Some newer concepts began operating around 2025, while older businesses have redesigned their spaces around traditional Bangali elements.

Bir Chattala, an established restaurant in Jamal Khan, is one such example.

Its walls feature Bangali motifs, artwork and scenes inspired by rural life. Inside are clay pitchers and jugs, hurricane lamps, hand fans, jars filled with bangles, hand-painted pieces and seats made from wooden logs.

Books line parts of the walls, while a separate space has been arranged for visitors to take photographs.

Among the objects on display is the mathal, a traditional head covering once commonly worn by our farmers to protect themselves from the sun. Now less familiar to many city dwellers, such objects have become a distinctive part of the restaurant's interior.

Founder Monjurul Haque said the redesign was aimed partly at introducing younger generations to objects and traditions they may no longer encounter in everyday life.

"Many young people are forgetting old traditions and do not recognise many things that were once common," he said.

"We wanted to create awareness among them. Many have also lost the habit of reading, so we placed books along the walls to encourage them."

Monjurul said both customer numbers and sales had increased since the redesign.

The shift, however, is not limited to restaurants.

Heritage-themed shops attract youth, create jobs

Across Jamal Khan and other parts of Chattogram, small craft and lifestyle shops are using bamboo, clay, jute, books, handmade products and Bangali motifs to create spaces that combine shopping with leisure.

Many carry Bangali names, including Kichukhon, Khata Khori, and Arekta Kichu.

Reading corners, photo spaces and decorative installations have become common features, drawing growing numbers of young visitors who browse products, take photographs and spend time there.

Many students also work at these businesses, while small entrepreneurs are finding space to sell handmade and locally inspired products.

Taskin, a Premier University student working at one such shop, said finding work was difficult.

"Alongside working here, I am also getting an idea of how a business operates," Taskin said.

Shops blend crafts with photo-friendly spaces

At Purnota, a mixed craft and lifestyle shop, customers were seen browsing products while others stopped to take photographs. A swing and other recreational features have also been set up for visitors.

The shop sells products made by six entrepreneurs, according to a seller at Purnota.

Seller Nipun said the shop brings in more than Tk1 lakh a month.

"The products are arranged according to customers' tastes and demand. Most of our customers are women," Nipun said.

Across such shops, products range from mats, kula, dried flowers and cloth bags to hand-painted items, clay plates, decorated bags and goods made from thread and jute.

Some also offer interactive features, including a facility where visitors can record and play back their voices.

Several of these craft and lifestyle shops also appeared to attract a relatively affluent clientele.

At Khata Khori, leaves, bird motifs, envelopes, an ektara, radio, camera and flute are used to decorate the space. The décor itself has become part of the attraction alongside the products on sale.

At Arekta Kichu, clay items line the walls, while shelves of books, hand-designed bags, clay plates and products made from thread and jute fill the shop.

Old traditions find new commercial appeal

Experts say growing concern over climate change and greater environmental awareness are encouraging people to turn towards environmentally friendly products, helping traditional materials and crafts regain attention.

Sellers at some of the shops also said growing interest in such products had helped increase sales.

The shift is giving objects once associated mainly with older homes and rural life a new place in urban commercial spaces.

Hurricane lamps and hand fans, once common household items, now appear as décor. Clay utensils, bamboo, jute, kula, ektara and other traditional objects are being presented to a generation that may have had little direct experience of using them.

Professor Naeem Uddin Hasan Aurangzeb of Chittagong University's Department of Economics said the growing use of Bangali cultural elements in businesses could create further opportunities as demand increased.

He said growing demand could support new businesses and employment while encouraging renewed interest in local cultural traditions.

In Chattogram, that return is taking place in everyday commercial spaces. A hurricane lamp, a clay pitcher or an ektara is no longer only a reminder of the past – it is also becoming part of how a new generation eats, shops and spends time.