Century old 'Jamai Mela' commences in Tangail

The three-day long "Jamai mela" (Son-in-law fair) started in Tangail on Wednesday, and will continue until Friday. Every year on the 11th, 12th and 13th of the Bengali year, the fair is held on the playground of Basirunnisa High School in Rasulpur village of Sadar upazila in Tangail. Almost 300,000 people attend the fair annually | Abdullah Al Numan/Dhaka Tribune

Even though it started as a Boishakhi mela, locals have renamed it as "Jamai mela", as the visiting husbands of the local women are the main attraction of the fair. According to them, the 100-year old "Jamai mela" is even more festive than the Eid or Bangla New Year's Day | Abdullah Al Numan/Dhaka Tribune

Women of Rasulpur and surrounding areas come to visit their ancestral homes with their husbands, keeping the fair in mind. Traditionally, the mothers-in-law gift their sons-in-law money to buy goods from the fair. With that money, the sons-in-law buy goods from the fair and offer them as presents to their wives' families | Abdullah Al Numan/Dhaka Tribune

The fair attracts a large crowd of middle-aged and young people, including students. It mostly contains stalls selling sweets. Several traders trading in different kinds of sweets have confirmed that they make a considerable profit annually through the "Jamai mela" | Abdullah Al Numan/Dhaka Tribune

The fair also includes different kinds of entertainment activities for children, including Ferris wheel, toy trains, toy stalls, cosmetic stalls and food stalls. Traders from different parts of the country come to attend this historical fair. More than 100 stalls are erected every year in the fair, and another 100 people act as volunteers for three days | Abdullah Al Numan/Dhaka Tribune