A three-day Bijoy Mela marking the month of Victory began in a festive atmosphere at the Paba Upazila Parishad premises on Monday morning.
The fair was inaugurated at around 10am by Upazila Executive Officer Arafat Aman Aziz, who cut the ribbon as the chief guest. After the inauguration, he visited different stalls and exchanged views with entrepreneurs and officials.
From the very first day, a large number of visitors were seen at the fairground. Decorated with the spirit of Victory Day, the premises buzzed with enthusiasm as people of different ages strolled through the stalls.
A total of 12 stalls have been set up this year, arranged in rows across the upazila premises. Each stall bears a uniform nameplate titled “Bijoy Mela,” with the names of the participating organizations displayed separately. On the opening day, stall operators remained busy arranging and showcasing their products, while the presence of buyers and visitors was notable.
Various products are on display, including books from different publications, locally made aesthetic items, boutique and handicraft products, arts and crafts, locally produced industrial goods, and a wide range of traditional pithas, which drew special attention from visitors.
The pitha stall run by Nohata Girls’ High School emerged as one of the major attractions, offering traditional delicacies such as patisapta, pakwan, puli pitha, bhapa pitha, payes, tiler katakti, coconut naru, biscuit pitha, flower pitha, jamai pitha and egg alu kebab. In addition, pitha, pickle and vegetable stalls have been set up by Baragachi Mahila Samabay Samity.
Book lovers were seen gathering at the book stall of Anindya Publications, where books on various subjects are being displayed. The Upazila Agriculture Office has set up a stall featuring agricultural products along with a selfie stand, providing information on modern farming technologies and improved crop varieties. The selfie stand, in particular, has attracted many young visitors.
Boutique and handicraft clothing stalls run by the Women’s Affairs Officer’s Office are showcasing garments designed by women, while traditional rural items are on display at the stall arranged by the Upazila Rural Development Officer’s Office.
Among those present at the event were Assistant Commissioner (Land) Mohammad Mehedi Hasan, Upazila Engineer Maqbul Hossain, Upazila Agriculture Officer Krishibid MA Mannan, Upazila Livestock Officer Dr Md Abdul Latif, Upazila Secondary Education Officer Motahar Hossain, Project Implementation Officer Engineer Abu Bashir, Women’s Affairs Officer Fatema Khatun, BRDB Officer Shamsunnahar, Nohata Girls’ High School Headmaster Shamsuddin Pramanik, and other senior officials.
The upazila administration said the fair has been organized to spread the spirit of Victory Day, highlight the history and traditions of the Liberation War, and create opportunities for local entrepreneurs and organizations to promote and market their products.
The fair will continue until December 17, and organizers expressed hope that people from all walks of life would visit the venue throughout the three days.
