Chalanbeel is formed by rivers, canals and beels. The historical Chalanbeel of Bangladesh is well-known to the people of the whole country as a storehouse of grain and fish.

The 9 Upazilas of Chalanbeel are Tarash, Ullapara, Shahjadpur, Faridpur, Bhangura, Chatmohar, Gurudaspur, Singra and Atrai. With the touch of modernity, new technologies have been invented in digital Bangladesh, and large ponds have been created in the area.

Therefore, people in rural areas are no longer seen fishing in mud in rows like before. At one time, in this township of rural Bengal, after the monsoon, the low-lying land was irrigated with water in canals and beels and the fishing festival was held in the mud. With the passage of time, the traditional scene of fishing in the Chalanbeel area is no longer seen as usual. In various places in Chalanbeel, classes of influential people have built houses by filling up the government canals, so now the monsoon water does not reach the beel on time.

In addition, in the past, sufficient amount of Amon paddy was cultivated in the Chalanbeel area, but now after the arrival of Iri-boro rice, the farmers of this area no longer cultivate Amon paddy as before.

In the past, as the water in the rivers and rivers decreased due to the intense heat and strong sun of the month of Bhadra, the submerged fields started drying up. Even when the water dried up, various types of native fish used to get stuck in these places. And at that time, the people of rural Bengal used to go down into the muddy water in the farmers’ cropland and fish in rows with their hands. At first, fishing in the muddy water in the sun was also one of the entertainments of the people of rural Bengal. This trend has been going on since ancient times and continues to this day. Surrounded by rivers and canals, there are numerous canals and rivers all around Chalanbeel.

The size of these rivers and canals has become much smaller over time. Even so, during the rainy season, the water coming down from the upstream becomes stagnant in these canals and rivers, not only the rivers and canals, but also the ponds, basins and canals. Rice fields and low-lying lands are submerged. Along with the water, various types of native fish arrive in that land. In ancient times, when the water in the canals, basins, ponds and fields dried up, a small amount of water was used to irrigate them with plates and bowls.

Then a grand fishing festival was held there. Currently, this ancient tradition is being lost day by day. Shallow machines were used to irrigate the ponds, basins and canals of Chalanbeel.

Then, when the water dried up, a grand fishing festival was held. The people of the Chalanbeel area used to happily dip their hands into the muddy bottom of the empty ponds, canals and canals and bring out one fish after another. Along with the fish cultivated in the irrigated ponds, various types of native fish are also found. Various types of native fish species including shoal, bowal, gajar, taki, puti, khalse, koi, shing, magur, tengra, moa, guchoi, and baim are found in the ponds where the monsoon water comes. When we investigate the information on the spot, we see that this festival of fishing in the mud of the canal on the western side of Ayash village in Singra upazila is such that it fills the heart to see it. Locals said that every year during the monsoon, various types of native fish species come to these canals in the monsoon water. Some fish farmers in this area guard them and feed them and every year on the occasion of the month of Ramadan, they catch them and sell them in the market to make more profit, they told this reporter. It is in his continuity that such a festival of fishing from the canal is going on.

Mirza Abdur Rob Bulbu