Centenary Katla fish fair is sitting in Comilla, crowd of buyers and sellers
Photo Collected
Like every year, on the first day of the Bengali New Year, the traditional Katla fish fair is held in Comilla Nagar’s Rajganj market. Keeping the tradition, this fish fair is held along the one kilometer road in and around Rajganj market. Although it is mainly Katla fish fair, other fish are also sold here. 80 percent of the fish that come to the fair are cut. On the occasion of Payala Baisakh, this fair started on Tuesday morning and will continue till Wednesday night. Around the fair, people of various classes and professions flocked to the Rajganj market.
As soon as I entered the Rajganj market at 9 o’clock this morning, I saw only fish and fish all around. Rows of fish shops are decorated with Katla fish. Beyond the main market, there is a fish fair covering an area of about one kilometer on both sides of the old Dhaka-Chittagong highway. On one side, Rajganj traffic junction, on the other side, up to the gate of Comilla High School in Mughaltuli area of the city. The noise of vendors can be heard from far away. There was a huge crowd of buyers throughout the fair. Buyers are more interested in large size fish.
Apart from Comilla, hobby sellers bring fish here from different districts of the country. Fish came from different areas including Chandpur, Noakhali, Brahmanbaria, Feni, Jessore, Satkhira, Rajshahi. Katla fish weighing 3 to 20 kg has come to the fair. The cost of production has increased and the prices have also increased slightly compared to last year.
Karim Mia, a seller from Akhaura in Brahmanbaria, told Prothom Alo that less fish has arrived this year compared to last year. Due to the oil crisis, many traders from far away did not bring fish. But since the morning, the sale is crowded. He is expecting good profit.
From 9 am to 12 noon, I visited the fair and saw that live cuttlefish are being sold somewhere in the water. Somewhere fish is jumping between the branches. Large size roe, mrigel and carp fish are arranged with large cuttlefish. Katla fish weighing 15 to 20 kg is being sold at a maximum rate of Tk 1,100 per kg. Katla of minimum weight 3 kg is being sold at Tk 450 per kg. Buyers are pricing according to size. Big size roe fish is being sold for Tk 400 to Tk 700 per kg. Live fish cost a bit more.
A buyer named Amit Karmakar said that there is a high demand for fish grown in the ponds and ponds of Comilla during the fair. Although not very big in size, this fish is in high demand among local people because of its good taste.
Hashem Mia sold fish in Rajganj market for about 47 years. He told Prothom Alo that this fair is a hundred years tradition of Comilla. Hundreds of fish vendors bring fish here every year from different parts of the country. Before him, father also sold fish in this market. Thousands of Katla fish are sold in two days.
Mohammad Shahjalal brought Katla and Rui fish from Devidwar in the district. Each fish weighs 2.5 to 4 kg. He is selling Katla fish at Tk 400 to Tk 600 per kg. Shahjalal said, “I have been selling Katla fish at this fair for 20 years. Before this, my father and grandfather used to sell fish in this fair. This time I brought 600 kg of fish to the fair. At eight in the morning, Thaikka is starting to sell. Good sale. I hope it will be good.
Barkat Ulla Munshi, the founder of an educational institution in Police Lines area of the city, came to the fair to buy fish. But this time the price of fish is relatively high, he said. Barkat Ulla Munshi said, this fair is the tradition of Comilla. Katla fish is given as gifts to guests and relatives on Baisakh. However, this time the price of fish in the fair is high. Last year fish weighing more than 5 kg was Tk 500 to Tk 600, this time the fish is selling at Tk 700 to Tk 800 per kg. This time, the price seems to be higher as the fish is less. Katla fish is mostly present in this fair, hence it is called Katla fish fair.
Comilla history researcher Ahsanul Kabir told Prothom Alo that this fish fair is part of Comilla’s tradition. However, it is not possible to say exactly when this traditional fair started. It is said that the fair is more than hundred years old. Big fish are bought from the fair and sent to relatives’ homes and many entertain guests with fair fish. At one time, only Katla fish would rise. Now other fish also come. But most of them are cuttlefish. He said that the presence of Muslims is more on the first day of the fair and the presence of Hindus is more on the last day. Because, Sanatan religious people observe Paila Baisakh after one day.
Source: Prothom Alo Bangla
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