There are Boal, Chital, Endangered Mahashol, Rui, Katla, Mrigel, Baush and other large fishes including huge tiger fishes. There is a collection of native species of small fish and fresh fish from the Haor-river of the region. This is the scene that describes fishing culture of Moulvibazar region.
A two-day fish fair is held in Sherpur of Moulvibazar Sadar Upazila on the occasion of Poush-Sankranti festival. This time there are more than 300 fish shops in an area of 3 acres. Fish worth 3 crore tk was sold to these shops in one day.
According to the organizers, this market will sell fish at wholesale prices from the night of January 13 to January 14. Here, people and traders from different areas of Sunamganj, Habiganj, Sylhet and Moulvibazar of Sylhet division take fish to sell in the retail market.
After visiting the fair area, the vendors have brought fish. Small and large fish of various types have been stored. There are different species of fish including Baghair, Boal, Ai, Chital, Katla, Rui. Apart from this, there are many shops with different types of household items and different types of furniture, cute items, children's toys. On the other hand, some shopkeepers are also sitting with various furniture including wooden beds, cupboards, racks. Traders say that the crowd will increase in the fair on Saturday.
Locals said that this fair was organized around the two-day Poush-Sankranti and Navanna festivals. The name of this festival is 'Machher Mela'. This fair is one of the feasts of the festival of buyers and sellers, organizers and visitors from different parts of the country. Where the price of lakhs of Tk is raised for each fish of huge size. Millions of Tk are traded over this gigantic size of fishes.
It is known that Zamindar Mathur Babu started the fish fair around Paush Sankranti. Initially, the fair was held in Manumukh area of Sadar Upazila, but later it was shifted to Sherpur of Upazila. This fair is held every year depending on the fish of Hakaluki, Kawadighi, Hail Haor of Moulvibazar and various Haors of Greater Sylhet including Manu, Dhlai, Kushiara rivers. Fishermen collect big fish 5 to 6 months in advance to sell fish in this fair. Those fish are kept fresh in water in a special system.
Fish trader Shamim Mia said, the market is crowded. Hope the fish fair will sell well. I have stocked fish worth Tk 10 lakh. So far I have sold 3 lakh Tk.
Fish trader Nazmul Mia said that the fish fair was closed for the last 2 years. Now it has accumulated. Various species of native fish have arrived.
Ibrahim Mia, the owner of Shahjalal Fish Farm, said, "In my farm, 80 kg Baghair caught from the Meghna River has arrived. The price is 1 lakh 30 thousand Tk.
Tapu Bhowmik, the vaccinator of Sherpur arat, said that fish warehouse is conducted here every year through auction. This year the number of fish is more. I think fish worth at least 6 crore Tk will be sold on this day. Apart from the fish fair, there are 20 major fairs in Sherpur. Mainly fish from local Kushiara River, Hakaluki Haor, Kaua Dighi Haor are more seen in this fair, apart from Sunamganj's Tahirpur Haor, Niladri Lake, and fish from different parts of the country come to this fair.
