Stop this mockery!

What's the meaning of Pahela Baishakh? Why do we really celebrate it? Does the celebration just entail eating hilsa fish with panta bhat on earthen plates? Mughal emperor Akbar introduced the tradition of celebrating Pahela Baishakh, to celebrate the closing of the annual tax collection season. However, in early 1980's, some traders started stocking hilsa fish in their cold storage of fish, and introduce the trend of Panta-Ilish (hilsa) on the streets of Mawlana Bhashani, Ramna Park and Suhrawardi Uddyan. The rich began to gather to these places and took part in this fad, launching a new way to celebrate Pahela Baishakh. The poor, for whom the celebration was originally intended, are unable to participate in this event, because the price of hilsa fish is beyond their reach. In such circumstances, the celebration is no longer a national festival at all. It is solely a mockery of the poor. I'd like to request privileged citizens of the country to stop encouraging this practice. 

Bipul K Debnath
Dhaka