Traditional ‘Poradah Mela’ cancelled following court ruling

Poradah village on the banks of the Ichamati River waits all year for the last Wednesday of Magh or the first Wednesday of Falgun. During this time, festive music fills the riverbank and large crowds gather. Not just one village, the entire Bogura district comes alive around the Poradah fair, also known as 'Jamai fair'.

This year, however, the familiar scene will not be witnessed. The flow of tradition has come to a halt.

The last Wednesday of Magh falls on February 11 this year, the day before the 2026 national parliamentary election. As a result, the Poradah fair has been postponed. The fair also cannot be held on the first Wednesday of Falgun due to a court ruling issued in 1959.

One of the organisers and landowners of the Poradah fair is Abdul Majid Mandal, chairman of Mahishaban Union Parishad in Gabtali upazila of Bogura.

He said that in 1959, a legal dispute took place between the then government and the fair organisers. The court ruled that the Poradah fair must be held either on the last Wednesday of Magh or the first Wednesday of Falgun. Any deviation would result in the government collecting the fair revenue and taking over its management.

According to the rules, if the last Wednesday of Magh falls on the 25th, the fair is held on the first Wednesday of Falgun. If it falls on the 26th or later, the fair must be held on the last Wednesday of Magh. This year, it falls on the 28th, meaning the fair should have been held that day. However, the national election scheduled for the following day has made this impossible.

Abdul Majid said the traditional Bou Mela, held the day after the Jamai Mela, will also not take place this year. Due to the election, all activities, including transport movement, will be suspended. People would be confused whether to focus on voting or attending the fair, prompting the decision to cancel it.

He added that there is no legal scope to organise the fair at a later date, as doing so would strip the organisers of all rights over it.

The history of the Poradah fair spans nearly 400 years. A saint arrived in Poradah village around four centuries ago, leading to the establishment of an ashram beneath a banyan tree. Worship at the ashram later gave rise to the fair, which has been held regularly for over 250 years.

During the fair, sons-in-law visit their in-laws’ homes and households host guests. The following day is reserved for women with the Bou Mela. This year, however, the banks of the Ichamati will remain silent, with no crowds and no festive music, as tradition pauses under a decades-old court ruling.