Boli Khela is a traditional form of wrestling

Wrestling

Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...

 in Bangladesh

Bangladesh

Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...

, particularly popular in the Chittagong

Chittagong

Chittagong ) is a city in southeastern Bangladesh and the capital of an eponymous district and division. Built on the banks of the Karnaphuli River, the city is home to Bangladesh's busiest seaport and has a population of over 4.5 million, making it the second largest city in the country.A trading...

 area. Boli means a powerful person in Bengali

Bengali language

Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...

, while Khela denotes a game. It is particularly played in the month of Chaitra (March-April in the Bangla Calendar).

A modernized form of the game gained popularity in the early 19th century under the sponsorship of Abdul Jabbar Saodagar, who saw it as a way of countering British rule. Other notable players and organizers include Abul Fazal of Chittagong University

Chittagong University

The University of Chittagong is a public university situated at the suburban area of Hathazari, Chittagong district, Bangladesh. The university was established in 1966. The campus is at 22 km north to the Chittagong city. It has a shuttle train service from 7:00 AM to 9:30 PM for the...

, AK Khan, and Khwaja Abdul Ghani

Khwaja Abdul Ghani

Nawab Bahadur Sir Khwaja Abdul Ghani Mian KCSI was the first Nawab of Dhaka recognized by the British Raj.He introduced the panchayat system, gaslights, water works, newspaper, and the zoological garden to Dhaka...

.