NOAKHALI — A market named “Clean” in Bangladesh’s Noakhali district owes its unusual moniker not just to its tidy streets but to a man whose reputation for honesty endured long after his death, locals said.
Surrounded by lush greenery, the village of North Charjabbar in the Charjabbar union of Subarnachar upazila sits at the meeting point of four paved roads, all of which converge on a single marketplace known as Parishkar Bazar, or Clean Market. The name alone is enough to make anyone curious: Is the market actually clean? And how did it come to be called that?
On a recent visit to the Charjabbar area of Subarnachar, the streets and shops of Parishkar Bazar did indeed appear tidy. But the story behind the name involves more than cleanliness.
More than half a century ago, a local resident named Aktaruzzaman was known throughout the area for his honesty in business dealings and his commitment to keeping every promise he made. Villagers said he never broke his word. He was also always immaculately dressed. For these reasons, the villagers gave him the nickname “Parishkar,” meaning clean.
In the 1970s, Aktaruzzaman opened a small grocery shop at a road junction near his home. The shop became a popular gathering spot, with locals lingering late into the night. Other shops eventually opened nearby. Aktaruzzaman, also known as Parishkar, then organized a regular market around the shops. A market was held every Sunday and Thursday.
Villagers named the market after him, and Parishkar Bazar became the area’s official name. It is now also the government-registered name of the locality.
Local residents said Aktaruzzaman maintained transparency in running the market just as he did in his personal life. He and the other traders made a point of keeping the area clean. He died about two decades ago at age 80, residents said. The market still operates today in the spirit he set.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report