The traditional Jamai Mela (son-in-law fair), a festival spanning around 150 years, commenced at the Rasulpur Basiran Nesa High School grounds, under Tangail Sadar upazila.
The three-day event began on Saturday and is scheduled to conclude this Monday. Organisers and local traders expect the fair, considered one of the most prominent of its kind in Bangladesh, to generate a turnover exceeding Tk2 crore.
According to residents, the fair is held annually on 11, 12, and 13 Baishakh as per the Sanatan calendar. The primary attraction of the event is the gathering of sons-in-law from at least 30 surrounding villages who visit their in-laws’ homes specifically for the occasion.
A unique tradition
The fair is rooted in a long-standing custom where married women return to their paternal homes with their husbands. In preparation, mothers-in-law traditionally gift their sons-in-law a sum of money.
The sons-in-law then combine this gift with their own funds to purchase various items from the fair for the entire household, which is why the event is widely known as the ‘Jamai Mela’.
College student Bithi Akter noted that the fair, which originally began as a Baishakhi Mela, has now evolved into a celebration as significant to locals as Eid or Puja.
Rafiq Miah, a resident of Rasulpur, shared that he had heard stories of this traditional fair from his grandfather, underscoring its historical importance as the largest in Tangail district.
Trade and festivities
Despite the humid Baishakh heat, thousands of visitors, including couples and children, have flocked to the grounds. More than 500 traders from across the country have set up stalls featuring toys, cosmetics, wooden furniture, and various traditional sweets.
Nuru Miah, who has been selling jalebis at the fair for 16 years, remarked that sales are consistently better here than at other fairs due to the high volume of customers.
Ruhul Amin, a son-in-law visiting from Kalihati, expressed his delight at the annual invitation from his in-laws, stating that the fair serves as a vital social hub for reconnecting with relatives.
Security and administration
Md Nazrul Islam, chairman of Gala Union Parishad and convener of the fair committee, stated that all necessary preparations have been made to ensure a festive atmosphere.
He confirmed the participation of traders from various regions and reiterated the expectation of a Tk2 crore commercial impact.
To ensure safety and prevent any untoward incidents, adequate law enforcement personnel alongside local volunteers have been deployed at the venue, according to Md Ruhul Amin, officer-in-charge (OC) of Tangail Sadar Model Police Station.
