The bustling trading hub of Chaktai–Khatunganj in Chattogram -- one of the country’s oldest and largest wholesale markets -- once used to come alive a week before Pahela Baishakh to observe Halkhata, a thousand-year-old tradition.
Invitation cards used to be sent to traders, shops were cleaned and decorated, and accounts from the previous year would be settled. On the morning of the Bangla New Year, businesses welcomed customers with sweets, small gifts and warm greetings before opening fresh accounts in the traditional red cloth-bound ledgers.
The rhythmic beat of drums echoed through the marketplace, turning commerce into celebration.
Now, such scenes exist mostly in memory.
“It feels almost imaginary now,” says Akash Ghosh, a third-generation Halkhata trader at New Khata Ghar in Khatunganj. “But even back in the 1990s, this was exactly how Pahela Baishakh used to be.”
Halkhata -- the ceremonial opening of a new red-cloth-bound ledger book -- was once a defining feature of Bangla New Year to traders. However, it has largely lost its grandeur in Chattogram city steadily over the years, except for a few areas -- such as Terribazar, Anderkilla, Boxirhat, and the old wholesale markets of Chaktai–Khatunganj -- where the tradition still flickers on.
With the rapid rise of digital technology, the nature of business has transformed. Paper ledgers have largely given way to computers, software and spreadsheets. Yet, Halkhata has not entirely disappeared; it survives in the practices of a handful of old businesses and craftsmen and in the collective nostalgia of the trading community.
On Monday, a day before the festival, workers were seen in some shops binding ledgers and carefully pasting red fabric onto the covers with glue to complete the traditional look.
“Halkhata was once the backbone of our trade. There used to be over a hundred ledger makers in this area. Now, only around 10 remain,” Akash said.
“Large businesses once maintained year-long accounts in thick, red cloth-bound ledgers,” Akash says. “Now most have shifted to digital systems. Still, some jewellers, grocers and wholesalers continue to use Halkhata for its enduring reliability, as the entries in a paper ledger cannot be altered easily; it remains a trusted record,” he added.
At SB Binding House, manager Alauddin said Halkhata ledger books now sell for Tk 80-700, depending on size and quality. “Red remains the preferred colour, as many consider it a symbol of good fortune,” he added.
His family has been in the ledger-book making business for four generations. “We produce books ranging from 100 to 1,200 pages. Our products are in demand not just in Chattogram but also in Cox’s Bazar, Bandarban, Rangamati, Khagrachhari, Feni, Cumilla and Sylhet,” he also said.
The origin of Halkhata can be traced back to the Mughal era, when Emperor Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar introduced the modern Bangla New Year in 1584 AD, merging the Islamic lunar calendar with the traditional solar-based Bengali calendar, to streamline tax collection with the agricultural cycle.
The term “Hal” is derived from Persian, meaning “new”, reflecting the practice of closing old accounts and opening a fresh ledger at the start of the new year.
Abdur Razzak, owner of Razzak Traders in Khatunganj, recalled another fading aspect of the tradition. “There used to be specialised accountants known as ‘Sarkar’, who maintained large account books throughout the year. The designation ‘Sarkar’, like many such terms we used to hear earlier, have now almost disappeared,” he said.
“Halkhata was once a grand affair. Preparations would begin days in advance. Invitation letters were sent to debtors, traders travelled from distant places, and around 80 percent of transactions were on credit. That made the occasion truly significant,” he added.
While Halkhata festivities were observed across the country yesterday, some business owners will celebrate the occasion today, following the traditional calendar (panjika).
Since the 1980s and 1990s onwards, the tradition began to wane, following the expansion of banking services, decline in credit-based trade, and a growing trust deficit among traders, all of which have contributed to the shift. The recent rise of mobile financial transactions further contributed to the decline.
Moreover, the Bangla calendar is hardly being used to maintain business records anymore, as many businesses follow the Gregorian calendar and maintain records digitally, said traders.
“Halkhata is not merely a ledger. It is a symbol of relationships. It once fostered trust, goodwill and a sense of community between buyers and sellers. We used to celebrate it at our shop,” said Jayatu Chowdhury, owner of Promoda Tea House.
“But times have changed. Credit sales have declined, and trust has eroded. Many traders suffered losses after debtors disappeared without paying. We do not arrange Halkhata events anymore,” he added.
Although the tradition of Halkhata may have faded, yet, it still endures, even if symbolically, and certainly in the memories of those who once celebrated it wholeheartedly.
