Gopaldi Bazar in Araihazar upazila of Narayanganj district, is established on the banks of the Meghna River, which has a tradition of about 200 years.
This market is the heart of people from several upazilas of about 3/4 of the district. All kinds of vegetables, fresh fish from the Meghna River and wood for making household items and various types of bamboo are available here. This market is especially known for buying and selling radish and bamboo.
This is a traditional market in the former Dhaka and present Narayanganj district. This market is located on the eastern border of Narayanganj district and Araihazar upazila. Araihazar upazila of Narayanganj district, Narsingdi district to the north, Bancharampur of B. Baria to the east, Homna and Sonargaon upazilas of Comilla to the south. A weekly market is held here every Thursday. Farmers bring and sell various types of agricultural products from the mentioned areas in the market by boat, trawler and other vehicles.
Every year, hundreds of shops along the banks of the Meghna river sell bamboo and radish. Bamboo and radish are among the materials used by the local residents in building their homes. Various types of bamboo and radish are available. Barag bamboo and Ora bamboo are commonly used in house construction. Apart from this, Mafal bamboo is used to make furniture and fishing equipment such as chai, khacha, polo, jhapa, pati, kula mora etc. Muli bamboo is used in building house sheds and fences.
In remote districts like Sylhet, Chittagong, Khagrachari, Sunamganj - consignments of radish and bamboo come from the hill forests of those areas. 2/1 days a week, all these consignments of radish and bamboo are transported through the bamboo platforms along the river.
A bamboo shopkeeper in Gopaldi Bazar said that due to housing development in the area, the number of buyers is currently low, in the digital age, a large population is more interested in building wooden houses than bamboo houses. But this situation will not last long. People will understand the value of bamboo and radish as before.
Gopaldi Municipal Administrator Naeemuddin said, Gopaldi Bazar is famous for various types of agricultural products including bamboo, radish and wood. The market is a traditional market. Whatever needs to be done for the development of this market will be done.
