116th edition of Chattogram's Jabbarer Boli Khela on 25 April

The "Jabbarer Boli Khela", a traditional wrestling competition, is set to take place at the Laldighi Maidan in Chattogram next Friday (25 April).

The competition will take place on the second day of a three-day-long Baishakhi Fair, which will run from 24 April to 26 April.

The authorities have already designated areas adjacent to Laldighi Maidan for the Baishakhi Fair.

In 1909, Abdul Jabbar Saudagar, a wealthy businessman from Chattogram's Badarpati area, initiated the tournament. After his death, the competition became known as "Jabbarer Bali Khela".

The final of the competition takes place every year on the 12th day of Baishakh.

Though at least 11 Boli tournaments are held in the district every year, Jabbarer Boli Khela is the most popular, with the second being "Shabuddiner Boli Khela", which is also held in the port city.

Shawkat Anwar Badal, general secretary of the fair organising committee and grandson of late Abdul Jabbar Saudagar, said, "We held a meeting with law enforcement agencies on 16 April to make the whole event successful."

"No stall can be set up from Anderkilla to the Court Building area to make way for the movement of the people. We will take strict measures if anyone sets up stalls, occupies places or extorts money," Badal said.

The annual wrestling competition and three-day-long Baishakhi Fair are attended by thousands of people from Chattogram and nearby districts.

Sometimes the Baishakhi Fair lasts for six to seven days. The fair premises stretch to a few kilometres around Laldighi Maidan and consist of more than 2,500 stalls.

The rules of the ring

The rule of the Boli Khela is to bring down the opponent completely without physically hitting or injuring them, according to Abdul Malek, the referee of Jabbarer Boli Khela for 30 years.

He said there is no point system, and whoever can floor an opponent on the sandy ground and hold them there is declared the winner.

Competitors are selected through a lottery system. From then on, there are quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals. The competition ends before the Maghrib prayers.

Last year, Bagha Sharif Boli, a meat seller from Homna Upazila of Cumilla, clinched the title of the 115th edition of the wrestling competition.

A total of 100 wrestlers, aged between 25 and 70, from various parts of the country had taken part in the competition last year.

Didarul Alam alias Didar Boli from Cox's Bazar has won Jabbarer Boli Khela for a record 11 times, the highest since the inception of the competition. Didar last clinched the title in 2017 and went into retirement that year.