Loss of Halkhata Zaulus is the fear of the owners

This time, as Pahela Baisakh is on the eve of Eid, there is a new hope among the traders. Especially, people of the country are able to shop for Pahela Baishakh and Eid in an open environment after overcoming Corona. Which makes the festival of Halkhata more magnificent. However, due to the unusual price of gold, the gold business is on the decline. Despite this, like every time, preparations have been made in jewelers and ornament making shops of Tantibazar and Shankharibazar.

It is known that after the introduction of the Bengali year, various ceremonies started to celebrate the New Year. Halkhata was the second major event of Payala Baisakh. The event was done by businessmen. Agrarian society used to get cash by selling crops. Jute was a source of cash. Almost no one, including the farmers, would see the face of cash if the money from the sale of the produce did not arrive during the harvest season. As a result, they had no choice but to buy things for the rest of the year. They used to settle the remaining money of the shopkeepers during the Halkhata ceremony of the first Baisakh. Many opened new year account after partial payment. They used to sell the product for rest. As everyone was known to everyone, there was no hesitation in giving the rest. They believed that no one would kill money. Earlier, Nawabs and zamindars used to celebrate Punyah festival on the first Baisakh.

But now the shops don't see such pictures like before. The use of modern technology has freed many from handwritten ledgers. Even 10/15 years ago, the grand ceremony of Halkhatar which used to be seen in the streets and shops, is no more. Earlier, businessmen used to trust word of mouth and pay lakhs of rupees. Most of them were usul on the day of Halkhata. Now many people pay the transaction through the bank. The style of organizing has changed with the touch of technology. That day is no more. Not even the Halkhata festival. But as a universal festival, Halkhata was the soul of Bengali New Year. The Halkhata festival of the life of the thousand years of Bengali tradition seems to be unable to withstand the modern world of information technology through online banking, mobile banking.

On Thursday (April 13), various business establishments in Old Dhaka's Shankharibazar, Tantibazar and Shyambazar visited the ground and talked to the traders. It has been seen on the ground that the traders of old Dhaka did not organize any special event for the first Baishakh this year as fasting and Eid have come. But at that time, the traders were busy with various decorations including cleaning and painting the shops. Although nothing like that was seen this year, colorful pots, solar flowers, colorful Kula, etc. were seen in a couple of shops. Traders do not remember any festive atmosphere. Tile book, rug traders did not even see. Printing invitations of traders on the occasion of Halkhata, orders of sweets have also reduced. In general, there is no festival mood with Halkhata in these markets. Basically, traders will do Halkhata only to protect the tradition.

Due to the corona epidemic in the last two years, the businessmen of old Dhaka could not perform the Halkhata ceremony properly. This time, even during the fast, a different mood is working among the businessmen, focusing on the Baishakh ceremony and the Halkhatar ceremony.
After the farewell of Bangabd 1429, the arrival message of 1430 has already started. There is a lot going on everywhere to settle the old accounts. Traditionally, traders of old Dhaka have been celebrating Bengali New Year by opening halkhatas and distributing sweets. This time is no exception.
Old Dhaka is always colorful around the first day of Bengali New Year. Pahela Baisakh began to be practiced after the Mughal Emperor Akbar introduced Baisakh as the first month of the Bengali year. On this day, the businessmen open a new account for the new year by settling all the debts of the year. It is open for fun and entertainment. Halkhata is held every year in Old Dhaka's Sadarghat, Tantibazar, Shankharibazar jewelers and ornament factories, Shyambazar, Chawkbazar and Islampur cloth shops.
Businessmen of old Dhaka are reorganizing business establishments. In particular, the invitation to Halkhata ceremony of the customers has also been completed. Traders of old Dhaka have prepared for the new year through various festivals with retail and wholesale customers. Traders from various areas including Chawkbazar, Tantibazar, Shankharibazar, Banglabazar, Shyambazar of old Dhaka have prepared. For this, the businessmen of old Dhaka are washing and cleaning their businesses, many are decorating them with different colored lamps and flowers.

Sources of Bangladeshi shopkeepers have informed that, in Baisakh bazaar, domestic bamboo, cane, wooden products, earthenware, toys, plastic toys, various kinds of clothes, nadu bazaar worth about 10,000 crores are sold. Apart from this, about 5000 crores of other clothes are sold in the Baisakhi market. Moreover, the sale of hilsa is about 5 thousand crores of taka. Similarly sweets worth 4 to 5 thousand rupees are sold in sweet shops. All in all, only clothes are sold in Baisakh worth about Tk 25 thousand crores.

Financial transactions around Boishakhi festival are several times higher than normal times. The flow of money increases in the market. The economy becomes stronger. At this time, Bangladesh Bank increased the supply of money in the market through commercial banks. Banks maintain sufficient funds in their ATM, credit card and internet based systems. Expatriates send more remittances to their families. Transactions also increase through mobile banking and post office.

It should be noted that Halkhata is the soul of Bengali New Year as a public festival. According to history, it has been in use since the introduction of Bengali year by Emperor Akbar in 1584. The old account is closed and the new account is opened in that ledger. In the past, punyah was practiced as a ceremony to pay rent to the zamindar. On the first day of the year, the subjects dressed as best they could and went to the zamindar's house to pay the rent. They were entertained with sweets. Punyah has disappeared as the system of zamindari has disappeared.