Bidhannagar Mela reserves stalls for Bangladesh traders
Times of India | 2 November 2025
Kolkata: Bidhannagar Mela Utsav 2025, the annual fair organised by the Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation (BMC), is scheduled to take place at Salt Lake Central Park fairground from Dec 1 to Dec 21.
This is a few weeks earlier than usual to prepare the fairground for the next International Kolkata Book Fair, which is set to start on Jan 22 next year.
This time, the organisers have also decided to reserve stalls for traders from Bangladesh.
Last year, Bidhannagar Mela Utsav was organised from Feb 21 to March 12, after the completion of the International Kolkata Book Fair. The civic authorities could not organise the fair from mid-Dec 2023 as was initially planned because the book fair dates were pre-poned, and the fairground had to be released and handed over to the Publishers and Booksellers Guild for them to prepare the ground.
Last year, the fair did not have participation from Bangladesh due to the volatile political situation. Although advances were paid by some traders from Bangladesh to participate in the fair, the agency responsible for stall and pavilion booking refunded it and requested them not to come.
This year, 14 stalls from A-5 to A-18, as mentioned in the stall and pavilion booking list, have been reserved for traders from Bangladesh to participate in the fair.
While 13 stalls will be 250 sq ft each, one will be spread over 500 sq ft. Civic officials said that Bangladesh stalls are very popular among visitors, as representatives from Bangladesh set up Dhakai and Jamdani saree stalls at the mela every year, which draws large crowds.
An agency will be selected by the civic authorities to develop the entire fairground by setting up temporary stalls, pavilions, kiosks, amusement areas, and gates, along with providing necessary electrical arrangements. BMC will conduct daily collection and disposal of the solid waste generated inside the fairground.