Thousands of people attend fishing festival at Buri Dam in Thakurgaon
Md. Zahid Hasan Milu, Thakurgaon
Published: 18 October 2025
With nets, fishing rods and small boats in hand. Some are on rafts, some are waist-deep in the water, casting their nets in rows. It's like a wave of celebration on the river. Like every year, thousands of people have come to watch and participate in the traditional fishing festival that has begun at the Buri Dam of the Suk River in Thakurgaon Sadar Upazila.
On the spot, it was seen that the Water Development Board opened the floodgates of the dam on Friday (October 17) afternoon. Since then, crowds of people have gathered on both banks of the river. Some are fishing, some are buying, and some have just come to watch and soak themselves in the colors of this unique festival.
Hundreds of people descended on the dam from the morning of Saturday (October 18). A competition was held with nets, fishing rods and small boats in hand. Fishing continued throughout the night - the fishermen returned to the shore with the caught fish at dawn. The sounds of laughter and joy were heard around the festival.
Buri Dam, located at the junction of Akcha and Chilarang Unions in Thakurgaon Sadar, has long been a part of the tradition of the locals. Every year, the floodgates of the dam are opened at the beginning of the Bengali month of Kartik, and thousands of people from the surrounding areas come to catch and watch fish. During this three- to four-day festival, various native species of fish—taki, puti, mala, foli, shing, shoal, tengra—are caught from the river, which are sold at good prices in the temporary market along the dam.
Locals claim that the fish are not as big as before. A local fisherman said, "Previously, many people used to catch fish early with ring nets, so now the fish have decreased a bit. But still, this festival is our place of joy - we can all catch fish together, share laughter and joy." Thakurgaon Sadar Upazila Executive Officer Md. Khairul Islam told Dhaka Mail, "We are working to conserve native fish species in Buri Dam. This year, several raids have been conducted to destroy the ring nets. Initiatives have been taken to ensure that more fish are available in the future. People are now unable to find places to relax, so this dam festival has become a center of their joy." According to the Water Development Board authorities, the Water Development Board constructed the Buri Dam on 2,388 hectares of land in 1952, which was later renovated in 1978. This year, the dam has met the irrigation needs of about 1,000 hectares of high-altitude Aman paddy, which is playing an important role in the agricultural economy of Thakurgaon. This festival is not just about fishing, it has now become a social gathering. Apart from Thakurgaon, people from neighboring Dinajpur, Panchagarh and Rangpur also come to join this festival. The entire area then turns into a joyful fair—some are casting nets, some are bidding on fish, and some are spending time with their families in the lap of nature.
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