Hill traditional products fair in Dhaka

Various agricultural products produced in the hills are arranged in several stalls of the fair. Some stalls have handmade or traditional Komar woven bahari dresses. Some stalls are selling traditional hill food.

Along with the small ethnic groups living in Dhaka, many of the city dwellers went to the fair with their families. The crowd of people at the fair was eye-catching. Some are visiting stalls and trying different foods. Some buy handloom cloth, handmade ornaments or agricultural products produced in the hills.

Such an image of Sheikh Hasina can be seen when she goes to the 'Parbatya Mela-2024' organized at Chittagong Hill Tract Complex in the capital on Friday afternoon. In the presence of people of all ethnic groups, this fair takes the form of a meeting of cultural diversity.

The Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts has organized this hill fair for four days to spread the culture and heritage of Chittagong Hill Tracts in the country and the world. The fair which started last Wednesday will continue till tomorrow Saturday evening.

There are 97 stalls in this year's Parbatya Mela. There are 52 stalls of various agricultural products and food. Some of these stalls sell cooked food, some stalls prepare instant food.

If you go to that part today, you can see that the urban people have tasted the food like mountain crab, mountain chicken, fish, meat, shrimp, mushroom etc. Besides, Binni is a pita made of paddy rice wrapped in banana leaves. Also on sale.

Besides red, white and black binni rice, masala, dal, sunflower banana, mountain-grown watermelon, sugarcane, pineapple, dragon fruit, tamarind, mountain potato, yellow brinjal, various kinds of fruits and vegetables are kept. For sale.

Three friends named Sumaiya Khandkar, Deepa Ahmed and Ritu Islam, residents of Bailey Road, have come to visit the fair. Three men were looking at clothes from a stall. About the event, Sumaiya Khandkar said, I got a lot of ideas about the diversity of life of hill people by coming to the fair. Their life and traditions are very rich. However, he also commented that the fair space is too much. small

Apart from the delicious food and fruits of the hills, traditional clothes of the people of different ethnic groups living in the three hill districts, mostly woven on waist looms, are brought for sale in the fair. These include thamis, towels, pinons, veils, bed sheets and all eye-catching bahari bags made from woven fabrics.

Stall owners of the fair said that Pahari products and clothes are very popular among Bengalis.

There were various showpieces made of bamboo, various interior decoration items at the fair. Apart from these, there were various traditional ornaments of small ethnic groups. These include silver necklaces, bangles, earrings etc. made with beads and coins. They are sold for 1 thousand to 6 thousand rupees.

Ishita Chakma, daughter of Rangamati, creates ornaments for girls with various motifs of ethnic minorities. She has her own online page selling jewelry. Ishita Chakma told Prothom Alo that she works with traditional jewelery and ornaments of various hill tribes.

According to the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs, the fair has been kept open for everyone from 9 am to 10 pm every day. Every day from 6 pm to 10 pm cultural programs are organized through traditional performances of 275 artistes from the three hill districts of Rangamati, Bandarban and Khagrachari.