Traditional fish fair have been held in different places of Bogura district on the occasion of Nabanna Utsab, a festival of harvesting new crops.
People from different walks of life came to the fish fairs held at Mahasthan and Uthli areas in Shibganj, Mokamatla, Ranbagha and Omarpur in Nandigram and Kahalu Bazar. From dawn to dusk, the fish fair was full of people’s movement amid a festive atmosphere.
The sellers sat in their stalls with different species of fish including Bagair, Boal, Rui, Katla and Chital. Over a crore of taka of fish were traded in the fairs throughout the day.
Centering the fair a festive mood was prevailing in every house of the village. Every year a fish fair is held at Battala of Uthli village in Shibganj on the occasion of Nabanna Utsab.
This year’s fair is no exception. Starting from one kg to 20 kg, various types of fish including Baghair, Boal, Rui, Katla, Chital, Black Carp, Silver Carp, Brigade carp were sold in this fair.
Vendors at various places in the district, including Shibganj in Bogura, set up stalls for selling vegetables, sweets, yoghurt, earthenware and other products too.
Uthli fish fair is a traditional fair that is being held for about 200 years at the initiative of the followers of Hindu religion. Festivals are organized in the houses of people in 20 nearby villages. In every house, the relatives especially newlywed couples are entertained with big fish and new vegetables bought from the fair.
People from all communities, including men and women from the surrounding districts, came there to shop. More than one thousand mounds of fish have been traded in Mahasthan, Uthli and Mokamatla fairs of Shibganj. Pakhi fish weighing from one kg to 38 kg fish, 19 kg Black Carp, 12 kg Katal, Rui, Katla, Bighead, Bugger, Silver Carp and other kinds of fish were sold at the fair.
However, buyers and sellers have said that the price of fish is much higher this time as compared to last year. Giant rui-katla and fish were sold at Tk 700 to 1,000 per kg, but medium-sized fish were sold at Tk 200 to 700 per kg.
Besides, black carp, bighead and silver carp fish are sold at Tk 240 to 500. The 100-year-old Uthli fish fair has become a gathering place for relatives in 22 nearby villages. The fair is held in the first week of Bengali month of Agrahayan according to the calendar.
Although Nabanna festival is celebrated on this day, every year a fish fair is held in Uthli centered on this festival. Although it was a Nabanna festival, it was organized in the houses
of people from 22 villages including Uthli, Rathbari, small and big Narayanpur, Dhondakola, Sadullapur, Berabala, Akanpara, Garibpur, Debipur, Gujia, Medanipara, Bakshan, Rahbal and Mokamatla. Relatives including daughter-in-law are invited in advance in every house. With the whole family, they grow new paddy.
On the occasion of Nabanna, a fish fair is held there, but other freshly picked vegetables are also arranged in the fair grounds. New potatoes have been sold at this fair at Tk 300 to 320 per kg. In addition, sweet potatoes and Keshor (fruit) have been sold at Tk 150 per kg.
Zahurul Islam, a fish trader from Uthli area of Shibganj, said he farmed fish on his own initiative in Dakumara area of Gabtali upazila. This time he brought a 12 kg Katla, cultivated in his pond, and sold it at Tk 12,000.
Another fish farmer named, Momin Mia of Narayanpur village in Shibganj upazila, said there were hundreds of fish shops in the fair. Each seller sells at least 5 to 10 pounds of fish. 20 warehouses are opened from night to supply fish in the fair. From these warehouses, local vendors buy fish at wholesale prices and sell it at retail.
78-year-old Zahurul Islam, who came to buy fish at the fair, said he used to come from Rangpur to see fish at this fair every year and buy big fish if he liked. Amateur farmers stock fish in the ponds of the surrounding area for sale at the Uthli Nabanna Mela.
The competition among the farmers is on how big fish can be brought to the fair. Besides, there are storekeepers. The people of the area also compete and buy bigger fish and take it home. Originally, the followers of traditional religions celebrate Navanna, but people from all the communities of the surrounding villages go shopping, he added.
Shahrul Islam of Uthli village said that the traditional fair, which is almost 100 years old, is famous for its fish and the day of the fair is also full of new vegetables. That is why the people of the area come to the fair. He said that not only fish and vegetables, but also toy shops for children and teenagers have been set up for the fair. At the same time a big market of sweets and yoghurt is also sitting in the fair grounds.
Shishir, the lessee of Uthli Bazar, said that although the fair was small in the past, it has become widespread in recent times. People not only from the vicinity but also from the entire Shibganj upazila come here to buy nabanna. After getting the news of the fish fair, many people from the city rushed there to buy fish. He said that more than one and a half thousand fish has been traded in the fair this time.
Shibganj Municipality Mayor Touhidur Rahman Manik said, “On this day of the year, all Hindu and Muslim families in the area, including their son-in-law and daughter-in-law, are treated at the Nabanna Mela.
