MOULVIBAZAR — A century-old fish fair has come back to life in Sherpur, Moulvibazar, to mark Poush Sankranti, the festival that ends the Bengali month of Poush. The annual event has become as much a social gathering as a market, locals said.
Trading begins on the evening before Sankranti. Wholesale buying and selling continues through the night, and retail sales run through the next day. The fair is held only once a year, lasting two nights and a day.
The fair is set up in the Sherpur area of Moulvibazar Sadar upazila, on the banks of the Kushiyara River. Trading opened Monday evening, with wholesale buying continuing overnight and retail sales running through Tuesday and into Wednesday morning. Alongside fish, the fair offers toys, snacks, sweets, farm produce and household goods. Local residents, fish traders and visitors said the crowds grew heavier after sunset. Sellers arrived from across the country with their catches in trucks of all sizes. As the night deepened, the haggling rose to a steady roar. From the fair, fish are distributed to smaller markets across the district.
On Monday night, crowds gathered around the displays. Some walked from stall to stall, others snapped photos or took selfies with the fish. Buyers haggled before settling on a price.
Arbesh Mia, a fish seller, said he had brought about 1 million taka worth of fish to the fair. He was asking 300,000 taka for a baghair fish weighing about two maunds. Another seller, Muhibur Rahman, said buyers were thin on the ground. “People are taking more selfies than buying,” he said. He had brought about 1.2 million taka worth of fish.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report