The Boishakhi fair is going on with rural atmosphere and handicrafts
A woman is weaving a loom while sitting on the ground in a blue and white saree. A little girl in a colorful frock is standing with her hand on his shoulder. A short distance away, Babri is waving his magic box with his bioscope-haired hand. Two children are peeking into that box. Visitors crowd around the dolls made of cotton, colorful cloth and wooden frames.
A living picture of the rural atmosphere was seen at the 'Baishakhi Mela-1433' at Bangla Academy in the capital on Tuesday morning.
The dolls arranged in a row are attracting the attention of young and old. The sellers said that the price of each doll is 2500 to 10000 taka. A large chess board made of terracotta in front of one of the stalls also catches the eye. The king, minister, court and soldier of the two parties facing each other - the whole set is priced at 8 thousand rupees.
Mushfiqul, a student of a public university in the capital, was watching the chess board. He said, the price seems a bit high. But the thing is very interesting.
The seven-day Baisakhi fair is organized by Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSIC) and Bangla Academy. Culture Minister Nitai Roy Chowdhury officially inaugurated the fair at around 11:30 am.
Various domestic products are available here. Products made from cloth, leather, bamboo and rattan include clothing, bags, shoes, jewelery and home furnishings. There are also clay dolls. Visiting the fair at noon, visitors can be seen in full attendance. Many people came with their families from different areas of the city. However, the visitors also reported some suffering due to the closure of Dhaka University and Shahbagh Metrorail stations.
Sabina Yasmin, a resident of Agargaon, brought her two children and her husband to the fair. He said, 'I had to walk down to the secretariat station. Has suffered in the heat; But the children are very happy.
The organizers said that there are a total of 160 stalls in the fair. Among them, there are 7 stalls for leather goods, 6 stalls for Jamdani, 4 stalls for Nakshikantha, 44 stalls for textiles, 5 stalls for Shataranji and 2 stalls for Manipuri sarees. Besides, 13 stalls have been allocated for artisan zone, children's rides and entertainment zone, puppet show, bioscope and cultural programs. 13 stalls for marginal artisans and 2 stalls for minority castes have been provided free of cost.
Talking to the vendors at the fair, it is known that even though there are visitors, sales are comparatively less. A trader selling jute products said, "People come, see, but many leave after hearing the price."
However, a crowd of customers can be seen in a stall of products made of chana. There are fruit baskets, clothes baskets and various daily use items are being sold. Mehdi Hassan, the seller, said that he is from Bogra and his products are in demand all over the country. Next to it, a bed made of hogla leaves has been placed at the price of 900 taka.
Jute bag shops also show interest from buyers. Abdul Momen, a private employee, was seen buying a medium-sized bag. He said that jute bags are environment friendly and can be used regularly.
Along with cottage industry, the fair also has folk entertainment. Wooden bouncers and sleepers are placed for children near Burdwan House, where the crowd is relatively high.
Food stalls have been set up by the pond. Businessman Golam Rabbani was eating ice cream there with his family. He said, ice cream is good in this summer.
Books published by Bangla Academy are also being sold at a special discount in the fair. 25 percent discount on books published between 2011 and 2026.
On the way out of the fair premises, a bargain scene can be seen at a shop selling bamboo products. The seller Tapan Das was asking the price of one and a half hundred rupees for a colorful basket. The buyer says the price is 80 taka. Tapan Das did not shake his head. He looked at this reporter and said, 'Is the price so low? They come from Dinajpur and do not sell them.
Source: Prothom Alo Bangla
