If you have bought jamdani saris from Bangladesh stalls in the earlier editions of Bidhannanagar Mela (Utsav), chances are you might have been duped. The fair authorities say they have unearthed a scam whereby Indian products were being sold as imported from other countries.

“The stalls from Bangladesh were buying saris from Burrabazar and selling them here as Bangladeshi products,” Devashis Jana, mayoral council member of Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation who is the secretary of the fair organising committee, told The Telegraph Salt Lake on Tuesday.

“We had doubts so we called representatives from the West Bengal Weavers Association to check the Dhakai saris. They confirmed the saris to be from Burrabazar,” said Jana. “Even the onyx (in the Pakistan stalls) used to be from Agra.”

Some local participants had smelt foul play last year itself. Mabesha had put up posters on its walls warning customers against fake Jamdanis. “This practice had started over the last four years or so. Most Bangladeshi stalls sold Jamdani saris from Fulia, Santipur but claimed they were from Bangladesh. They also cheated people with an item called Rajsahi Silk. The product would actually be bought from Burrabazar and is a cheap synthetic and nylon sari. This was bringing down the image of Bidhannagar Mela,” said Keka Paul of Mabesha, who is a resident of CF Block.

This year, the fair has tied with the Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry. “They are bringing Banglacraft, the Bangladesh Handicrafts Manufacturers and Exporters Association. They have promised to bring jamdani saris, garments, handicrafts, and melamine and ceramic wear. This time, you will get the genuine items,” says Jana. The fair starts on December 8.