Workers carry freshly cut wild sugarcane flowers (kaash phul) on a van on the Bypass Road in Khulna city yesterday. The flowers are collected from different areas, sorted, and sold to betel farmers for around Tk 10 a bundle. The farmers use the stems to tie and support betel vines. PHOTO: HABIBUR RAHMAN

Once, the familiar call of ‘lace fita!’ echoed through every street, as hawkers peddled lace, bangles, and trinkets. Now, that voice is a rare memory. Mansur Ali, one of the last of the ‘lace fita’ sellers, walks down a forgotten road, hoping to find customers in Sylhet’s Khaminnagar union. The photo was taken recently. Photo: Sheikh Nasir