Baisakhi fair in the port city, Jabbar’s sacrifice is played tomorrow Daily Star Bangla

A three-day Boishakhi fair has started on the road next to Laldighi Maidan in the port city of Chittagong on the occasion of Jabbar’s ball game.

This historic fair is being organized here for more than a hundred years. Abdul Jabbar Saudagar, a distinguished merchant resident of Badarpati in Chittagong city, started the wrestling competition at Laldighi Maidan on 12 Baisakh of Bangla 1316 (1909 AD).

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Abdul Jabbar Memorial Wrestling Competition and Boishakhi Mela Celebration Parishad organizes sacrifice game at the same place every year.

Although the fair started today on Wednesday, the ball game will be held tomorrow on Thursday. The 115th edition of this competition will be held this time.

On the occasion of the three-day fair, traders from different parts of the country set up temporary shops to display and sell their products, especially handicrafts.

The three-day Baisakhi fair has started with Jabbar’s sacrifice game. Photo: Rajeev Raihan/Star

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The three-day Baisakhi fair has started with Jabbar’s sacrifice game. Photo: Rajeev Raihan/Star

Due to mild to moderate heatwave in Chittagong district, the mela had a very low turnout on the first day of intense heat.

However, traders are expecting a large crowd of visitors on the evenings of the two days following the fair.

A total of 100 wrestlers will participate in this year’s jabbar ball game, said Chittagong City Corporation ward councilor and chairman of the fair and competition organizing committee Zahar Lal Hazari.

He told The Daily Star that ABM Fazle Karim Chowdhury, Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Railway Ministry, will be present as the chief guest tomorrow.

Abdul Jabbar popularized the ball game to keep the youth physically fit and ready for the anti-British movement.

Apart from historical significance, the fair also has practical significance. Residents of the port city eagerly wait for this fair throughout the year to buy their kitchen and household essentials.

The fair is also economically important. Because hundreds of small traders look forward to this Boishakhi fair all year long to sell their handicrafts and household items.

It was seen on the ground today that traders from different parts of the country have set up temporary shops along the one and a half kilometer road from Andarkilla Mor to Kotyali Mor.

They are selling all kinds of handicrafts including household and kitchenware, pottery, toys, sweets, brooms, rugs, furniture, wooden and bamboo showpieces, rattan goods, saplings, fishing nets.

Nurul Amin, a businessman from Chandnaish Upazila of Chittagong, was selling brooms at Andarkilla junction. He was selling a pair of flower-brooms at 180 rupees and stick-brooms at 120 rupees.

Stating that the visitors have started coming to the fair, he said that as the days go by, the sales in the fair will increase.

Female visitors were seen thronging his shop with great interest. Rumi Barua, a resident of Bakalia area, was seen buying flower-brooms. He said that every year he buys a broom from the fair.

He said, ‘Quality brooms are sold at low prices in fairs, so I buy from fairs.’

Brahmanbaria businessman. Bashar KC Dey was selling mats on the road. He said that he was selling carpets at the fair. “Sales are getting better,” Bashar said.

A large number of visitors were seen thronging Hafiz Uddin’s shop to buy handicrafts. He was selling fry pans, wooden rolling boards, rolling sticks, jalchowkis (wooden seats), pots, hammers, jaanti, da.