Centuries-old dried fish fair begins in Brahmanbaria

A two-day traditional dried fish fair began today (15
April) at the Kulikunda Uttar Government Primary School ground in Nasirnagar
upazila of Brahmanbaria, with traders expecting sales of around Tk1 crore this
year.
The fair is held annually from the
second day of the Bengali New Year, and local accounts suggest it has been
organised in Kulikunda village for nearly 200 years. It is arranged by the
villagers.
The fair started this morning and
will continue until tomorrow evening (16 April).
Despite intense heat, buyers and visitors crowded the venue from the morning.
Alongside dried fish, traders have
set up stalls with various folk items. Clay toys for children, different snacks
and a ferris wheel have also been arranged.
A visit to the fair showed dried
fish traders lined up inside the school ground, while stalls of folk products
were placed outside.
Traders brought dried fish from
Brahmanbaria as well as Dhaka, Chattogram, Sylhet and other areas.
The fair has created a festive atmosphere in Kulikunda village, with crowds
increasing as the day progressed.
The fair was once based on a barter
system, but the practice is gradually disappearing.
Due to high prices of dried fish,
traders are no longer interested in barter.
However, to preserve tradition,
limited barter trading takes place for about an hour at the start.
Both local freshwater and marine
dried fish are available. Buyers said prices are slightly higher this year.
Depending on size and quality,
dried fish is selling from Tk600 to Tk3,000 per kg.
Shol is priced at Tk1,400-1,700,
Baim at Tk1,800, Aair at Tk1,600-1,800, Tuna at Tk1,500 and Hilsa at Tk1,200
per kg.
Abdullah Al Mamun said he first
visited the fair as a child with his father and buys dried fish here every
year. He said prices are higher than last year but a wide variety is available.
Hasibur Rahman, a private-sector
employee, said he came from Kasba after learning about the fair on Facebook and
bought Boal and Shol dried fish.
Hossain Ahmed, a member of the
organising committee, said a volunteer team is working to ensure no
inconvenience for traders and visitors.
















