117th Abdul Jabbar’s Balikhela Fair on Saturday

The traditional 117th Abdul Jabbar’s Balikhela of Chattogram is going to be held at the city’s historic Laldighi Maidan. The organizers have also completed all preparations for organizing a three-day Baisakhi fair on this occasion. The much-awaited Balikhela will be held at 3 pm on Saturday. This information was given by CCC Mayor Dr. Shahadat Hossain at a press conference held at the Library Auditorium of the Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) on Wednesday.
The mayor said that the late Abdul Jabbar Saudagar started this Balikhela in 1909 to physically prepare the youth for the anti-British movement. In continuation of that tradition, it has become one of the major folk festivals of Chattogram over the years.
He added that the fair committee has demanded that the Laldighi intersection be renamed as Jabbar’s Intersection. “I have tried to give the square a new look while preserving its history and tradition,” he said.
It was informed at the press conference that the inaugural ceremony of this year’s 117th Jabbar’s Balikhela will be attended by Chattogram Metropolitan Police Commissioner Hasan Md. Shawkat Ali. The chief guest will be CCC Mayor Dr. Shahadat Hossain, while Chattogram-9 constituency MP Abu Sufian will attend as a special guest.
The Baisakhi fair will begin on April 24 alongside Jabbar’s Balikhela. Some changes have been made to this year’s fair schedule considering the SSC examinations. The fair will conclude in the early hours of Sunday, April 26.
Strict security measures have been taken by the CMP and RAB to ensure smooth conduct of the fair and Balikhela. CCTV cameras, watchtowers, drone surveillance, SWAT teams, and bomb disposal units will be deployed. In addition, medical teams and fire service units have been kept on standby.