Papel Kumar Shaha:
In an inspiring showcase of art, resilience, and rural entrepreneurship, a design titled “A Tea Stall in North Bengal: The Story of Champa Rani Dey” has captured the Best Award for Community Impact at the “A Place of Stories: Designing the Stall” competition, organized by Claymire and hosted at La Galerie, Alliance Française de Dhaka, from March 24–27.
The award-winning concept was submitted by Shuvro Kumar Ghosh and Atiqur Rahman Atique, students from the Department of Architecture, Khulna University of Engineering & Technology (KUET). Their design sheet was selected among the top 50 entries from over 1,000 participants and 400 submissions worldwide, reflecting cultural integration, social practicality, and design sustainability.
The concept draws on the real-life struggles and triumphs of Champa Rani Dey, a widow from the Barendra region in North Bengal, who overcame extreme hardship after the loss of her husband. With her daughter and mother-in-law dependent on her, she started a modest tea stall to support her family. Her story is one of unwavering strength, self-reliance, and hope.
“Our concept was inspired by the resilience of a housewife from rural Bangladesh,” said co-designer Shuvro Kumar Ghosh. “Despite personal tragedy, she built a life through a small tea shop rooted in tradition and community spirit. Through our design, we wanted to honor women like her who embody quiet strength.”
The sheet design not only told her story but also symbolized how tradition, livelihood, and dignity can coexist in modern architectural vision. It offered a poetic yet practical model for community-centric design in rural spaces.
A Broader Mission
Claymire, the organizing platform, encourages creative expression through cross-disciplinary design challenges that span art, architecture, and sustainability. The initiative’s goal goes beyond competition—it seeks to ignite cultural dialogue and spark socially relevant innovation.
The collaboration with Alliance Française de Dhaka, an institution that has promoted intercultural exchange since 1959, gave the event an international edge while keeping the focus rooted in local stories.
Visitors to the exhibition praised the emotional depth and architectural insight in Champa Rani Dey’s story. The project stood out for its ability to blend cultural heritage with modern design thinking, a testament to how local narratives can influence global creativity.
“This initiative by Claymire and Alliance Française has allowed engineering and architecture students to explore deep cultural roots while proposing real solutions,” said an attendee. “It gives us hope that future designers will build not just for aesthetics—but for meaning and impact.”
As Bangladesh enters the Bengali New Year 1432, A Tea Stall in North Bengal stands as a symbol of hope, honoring the courage of rural women and the vision of young designers who believe in meaningful change—one small tea stall at a time.
