Nazrul Mela meets with success

Visitors from in and outside the district made a beeline for the Nazrul mela. Photo: STAR

As in previous years, a five- day 'Nazrul Mela', held at Darirampur Academy ground in Trishal to mark the national celebration of poet Nazrul's 111th birth anniversary, concluded yesterday. Visitors from in and outside the district made a beeline for over 600 stalls of different commodities, including toys, cosmetics, furniture, utensils, wooden and household items.
“We enjoy the fair every year and it is more interesting than other occasions,” said Jalaluddin who had come from adjacent Bhaluka upazila of the district. Zakia Sultana, a college student of Bhaluka, told this correspondent that the fair added extra colour to the national celebration of the poet's birth anniversary. She also said that the organisers should take more steps so that the fair could give a clearer idea to the younger generation about Bengali culture and tradition.
Taher Ali, from Dhanbari in Tangail district, had set up a stall of clay toys at the fair for the first time. The sale and security was good, said Taher, expressing the hope that he would come again with his goods next year.
Nikhil Chandra Sarker, a flutist from Homna in Comilla, had come to the fair with his musical instruments. “Though the new generation is not greatly interested in flutes, the overall sale is comparatively better than in previous years,” said Sarker. Abdus Samad, a seller of utensils, said that he had come to the fair for the second time. The average sale and the organisation were satisfactory, he added.
Azharul Rahman Bhuiyan, of the mela celebration committee, pointed out that due to inclement weather on the opening day of the fair on May 25, the organisers were apprehensive about the success of the fair but the rush of the people towards the latter half of the event was a good augury. The rush of shoppers from different places ensured that sales were good, he asserted.