A planned boat race on the Sonai River in Sylhet’s Beanibazar has come under opposition from a group calling itself ‘Tauhidi Janata’, while organisers and local residents are pushing to hold the traditional event as scheduled.
The boat race is set for August 28 in the Trigangarmukh area of the Sonai River, between Beanibazar upazila in Sylhet and Barlekha upazila in Moulvibazar.
The event has reportedly been organised for 15 to 20 years by young people from Lauta and Bahadurpur villages.
The group opposing the race has been campaigning on Facebook for about a week under the banner of ‘Lauta Union Tauhidi Janata’. Its members also held a meeting at Barigram Bazar Mosque on Thursday, calling for the event to be cancelled.
The issue is now being handled through discussions between the two sides. Lauta Union Parishad Chairman Md Delwar Hossain said the Beanibazar upazila administration had asked representatives of both sides to attend a meeting at the UNO’s office at 5pm on Saturday.
Beanibazar UNO Umme Habiba Majumder said the dispute was not as serious as it might appear and described it as a local issue.
She said a religious leader had recently raised concerns about fights breaking out during such rural events and called for the boat race to be stopped.
The UNO also said previous races had led to clashes and damage to riverbanks and farmland. The event was not held last year because of fighting, she said.
As the organisers need administrative permission to hold the race, the authorities will also consider whether the event could create a law-and-order problem, she added.
Organisers, however, say there is strong local support for the race. Aminul Islam, a member of the organising committee, said only a small group was opposing the event and expressed hope that it would go ahead as planned after discussions among local elders.
According to the organisers, participants must register their boats by noon next Friday. The winner will receive a cow, while the second-place winner will receive a goat.
Residents said the annual race usually draws spectators from nearby areas and creates a festive atmosphere. They said no one had raised objections to the event in previous years, making this year’s opposition unusual.
Those calling for cancellation have raised several concerns, including allegations that such events can lead to gambling, fights and traffic congestion. They also claim that boat races damage riverbanks, farmland and seedlings and can create difficulties for people trying to take patients to hospitals.
A video of the meeting at Barigram Bazar Mosque has also circulated on social media. Three people are seen speaking in the video, but their identities could not be independently confirmed.
One speaker alleged that efforts were being made to turn the boat race into a gambling event and warned of its possible impact on young people. Another called for the event to be stopped to prevent disorder, referring to past clashes and damage to boats and alleging that a woman had been killed in connection with a similar event several years ago.
The authorities are expected to assess the concerns of both sides before deciding whether the boat race will be allowed to take place.
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