Haat Bazaar (হাটবাজার) is an open-air market[1] that serves as a trading venue for local people in rural areas and towns mainly in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and India.[2] Haat bazaars are conducted on a regular basis, usually once, twice or thrice a week, and in some places once every fortnight. At times, haat bazaars are organized in a different manner, to support or promote trading by and with rural people.[3] [4] In addition to providing trading opportunities, haat bazaars serve as meeting places, rural settlements come up around the haats which gradually grow into towns.
Border Haats of India with neighbouring nations includejointly-run bi-lateral Haats at designated places on India's border with neighbours such as on India–Bangladesh border, India-Bhutan border, India–Myanmar border, and India–Myanmar border.[5]
In India, street vendors legitimately operate under the Street Vendors Act, 2014. Please help expand this partial and alphabetical list.
Two districts Lalmonirhat and Jaipurhat of Bangladesh have the suffix "haat" in their name, undoubtedly reflecting the presence of haat bazaars in those locations around which these cities grew up.
Eastern Nepal, most of the towns are named after the weekly haat. Aaitabare, Sombare, Mangalbare, Budhabare, Bihibare, Sukrabare and Sanischare are some common Nepali town names that are named for the day of the weekly haat.
Panchami, Nawamidanda, and Saptami are towns named after the fortnightly haats, according to the Hindu lunar calendar.