Baisakhi fair is starting on Wednesday with the historical ‘Abdul Jabbar Bali Khel’ as the fair for which people of Chittagong wait to buy household and home decoration products.
On the occasion of ball game, the three-day Boishakhi fair around Laldighi ground is a day away, but already the shopkeepers have started coming from different parts of the country; He sat down to sell the goods.
Although the fair starts from Wednesday, the main attraction will be the historical ball game held on Thursday afternoon at Laldighi ground.
According to the Bengali calendar, this historical ‘Abdul Jabbar Bali Khel’ is held every year at Laldighi field in Chittagong city on 12 Baisakh. This year will be held the 115th season of ball game.
The fair is held in an area of about one and a half square kilometers around the ground from Kotwali police station intersection, Jail road, through Laldighi to Andarkilla General Hospital and Cinema Palace intersection.
Pottery, Toys, Vases, Dolls, Cane and Bamboo Furniture, Hand Fans, Fishing Poles, Cane Branches, Kulos, Fruits, Forest and Flower Seedlings, Muri Murki, Rugs, Mats, Churi, Cosmetics, Da-Bati , there is no such product including knife, which is not available in this fair. Children also have no shortage of joy about the fair.
The convener of the fair committee and 32 Andarkilla ward councilor Zahar Lal Hazari told bdnews24.com that sellers come here with goods from different upazilas of Chittagong as well as different districts of the country.
He believes that at least two thousand vendors have come to the fair.
Jaharlal Hazari said that a separate space has been reserved for women entrepreneurs in this fair.
“From this year, space has been reserved for women entrepreneurs in the front part of the City Corporation Public Library. If the entrepreneurs come with their own products, seating arrangements will be made here.”
On Tuesday afternoon, Laldighi and surrounding areas were visited, the decoration work of the main stage of Bali game is going on in the field. And starting from the road adjacent to Laldighi ground to Cinema Palace, KC De Road, shopkeepers are busy arranging their shop goods.
Wasim Munshi brought wooden furniture to the fair from Jurain in Dhaka. He is sitting on the road in front of the traffic box at Cinema Palace intersection.
He told bdnews24.com that the demand for these furniture in the fair is very high. People can buy the desired furniture for their home at low cost.
“I have been coming to this ball game fair for 25 years. Every year we sell everything we bring and go back. This year, I have brought 55 items including beds, cupboards, among which beds are more. The fair starts tomorrow (Wednesday) but we came on Saturday. Some are being sold.”
Zakir Hossain from Bakila of Hajiganj Upazila of Chandpur is sitting in the same place.
On Tuesday afternoon, Zakir was busy painting the furniture brought to the fair.
While working, he said, “We have been coming to this fair for at least 20 years. I am bringing 80 pieces of furniture last Sunday. Hopefully I can sell them all.”
Paran Pal has brought tubs, show-pieces and other earthenware from Dohar in Nawabganj. He is sitting on the road next to the cinema palace.
He said, there is a shop called ‘Ma-mrit Shilpa’ in Doha. But every year he comes to this fair in Chittagong. He has come earlier this time too.
Paran Pal said, “According to us, Abdul Jabbar’s ball game fair in Chittagong is the last fair. Monsoon will come. There will be no big fair anywhere. The fair will start again in the winter season. So sellers are very interested in this fair.”
However, along with the hopes of selling in the fair, he also has frustrations.
Paran Pal said that sellers of earthen goods come more than the demand of buyers in this fair. Due to which no one can make much profit. The goods have to be sold at a small profit or at a bargain price. Soil materials cannot be overstretched. Even if we bring them at a low price, we have to sell them.
In this fair Chittagong residents have the highest demand for various tools including flower brooms, cane household items.
People wait for the fair for these household items. Many regretted not being able to buy household products due to the closure of fairs in 2020 and 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
In the middle of Hazari Goli and Laldighi Sonali Bank, Mr. Md. arranged a display of various household products including cane sinks, sieves, fishing poles. Hanif.
Hanif from Belabo Upazila of Narsingdi said that these are sold in Belabo market. They collect them every year for the Bali game fair and bring them here for sale.
Ripon Ahmed from Sylhet sits with rattan furniture in the corner of Laldighi Park and City Corporation Public Library. They came to Chittagong from Sylhet on Monday morning.
He said, they have a shop at the gate of Shahjalal shrine. But every year they come to Chittagong’s ball game fair for generations.
Saddam Hussain brought swings made of jute rope, home decoration products and hand fans from Elliotganj in Comilla.
He said that for several years, they set up shop at the Baisakhi fair of Bali games. For which they start preparing in advance. They order in advance to make these products. They also make it themselves.
The people of Chittagong have a high demand for flower brooms in Bali game fairs. No family can be found who does not collect these flower brooms from Bali Khel fairs.
Shopkeepers come to the fair from various places including Chittagong’s Banshkhali, Cox’s Bazar’s Chakria, Pekua and other places with these flower brooms.
A man named Abdul Alim is sitting with his shop on the footpath along the boundary wall of Laldighi Ground opposite the City Corporation Public Library.
Asa Alim from Ilsha Union of Banskhali said, “Fathers and grandfathers used to come to the fair every year, now we come. They supply brooms to various shops throughout the year. More than what we supply throughout the year is sold at Bali Khel Mela.”
A woman named Shabana is sitting on the Laldighi field road divider with a glass bangle.
He said, every year they come here from Dhaka’s Chawkbazar. Many people from their area brought glass bangles to the fair.
In 1909, local Abdul Jabbar Saudagar organized a wrestling competition at Laldighi ground to motivate the youth against the British exploitation and oppression, which later became known as Abdul Jabbar’s Bali Khel to the people of Chittagong and all over the country.
Traffic will be closed on the road for Bali game and fair
Like every year, this year also on April 24-26, the traffic department of Chittagong city police has imposed restrictions on the traffic on the roads around Laldighi field.
According to the instructions given by the city police, Kotwali, Andarkilla Jame Masjid intersection, Old Telegraph Office, Bose Brothers intersection, Rifle Club, Navgrahabari intersection, Shah Amanat Mazar road will be diverted from Wednesday. All types of traffic will be closed for three days from these roads to the Laldighi ground-facing road.
In these three days, the truck-covered vans carrying goods from various regions of the country will enter Chaktai and Khatunganj through Firingibazar Mariners road through Katwali junction.
