Baishakhi Charukala Uthsab in Sylhet, featuring traditional dresses, domestic utensils and fancy items, drew a large crowd on Friday, the first day of the two-day weekend.
The festival has been arranged on the Sylhet district auditorium premises at Rikabibazar in the city to raise fund for the Art and Autistic School, an educational institution for autistic children, located in the city’s Shahjalal Upa-Shahar.
‘We were passing tough times since the beginning of the festival on April 1 because of recent political unrest. The visitors started to come to the fair since the day before Pahela Baishakh, the first day of Bangla Calendar, and since then the fair has been experiencing crowds every day,’ the fair organising committee convener, Ismail Gani Himon, told New Age on Friday, with a smile glinting on his face.
Shahidul Islam, a stall owner of traditional Baishakhi dresses, said the number of buyers increased significantly on Friday as it was a weekend.
Talking to New Age, homemaker Sharmin said she bought two sets of fatua and two pairs of sandals from the fair for her five-year-old daughter Tahsin and three-year-old son Talha.
‘Whatever be the quality and price, the dresses displayed at the readymade garment shops in the fair are every fashionable with works of bright colours, which go well with children’s attires,’ she added.
Buying a number of household goods like fry-pan, hath fan, machete and several other everyday items, Rafia Begum, a primary school teacher, also expressed her satisfaction.
Three friends — Sumana, Tamanna and Maeeysha — of Kajal Shah in the city said they came to the fair to buy quality brand henna and traditional cosmetics as they were supposed to attend a bridal party Friday night.
A total of 40 stalls selling various goods including show-pieces, cosmetics, toys, ornaments, household utensils, sari, shalwar-kameez and readymade garments have been installed at the festival.
‘The festival was
supposed to end on April 14, the New Year Day. But the deadline has been extended up to April 21 after the number of visitors to the fair increased,’ Himon said, adding that the festival venue would remain open to all between 10:00am and 10:00pm every day.
-With New Age input
