When the indigenous people belonging to Chakma community in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) are in a festive mood to welcome Biju from Wednesday, a festival to say goodbye to the past year and celebrate the New Bangla Year, Chakma women and girls are passing busy time buying new clothes.
Aney Chakma, an NGO employee, said, “Every year when the festival comes we remain busy to decide which dress to buy or which colour to choose.”
Tori Chakma, owner of Mizel-Hozal, said, “I make traditional 'Pinon-Hadi,' which has a special demand among young girls.”
Owner of 'Dress Point' Nilu Mazumder, said, “I import Indian clothes as they have a huge demand among women and girls of different ages.”
While visiting different clothes shops in Banarupa, Tabalchari, Debasish Nagar and Rajbari area on Friday this correspondent found the indigenous women passing busy time buying new clothes for the upcoming Biju festival.
Ashish Chakma, president of Rangamati Trideb Nagar Babosayee Kalyan Samity, said they have engaged 10 volunteers at Banarupa Bazar to avert any untoward incident during the Biju shopping.
Every year, indigenous communities in the CHT celebrate the festival, to shed the sorrows of the previous year and welcome the Bangla New Year.
It is known by different names. The Chakmas call it as Biju, the Marmas observe it as Sangrai, the Tripuras as Boisuk and the Tangchangy as Bisu.
CHT indigenous people observe the festival for three days including last two days of the old year and first day of the Bangla New Year.