Bangladesh celebrates Pahela Baishakh with colours and festivities
With colours and festivities, Bangladesh is celebrating Pahela Baishakh today, the first day of the Bengali calendar.
On the first morning of Baisakh 1430, more than a hundred artists of the cultural organisation Chhayanaut welcomed the new Bangla year with, "Esho He Baishakh" - the iconic Baishakhi song of Rabindranath Tagore.
Chhayanaut's main programme began at 6:30am with the playing of raga instruments. The programme ended at 8:30am.
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This year, the first day of the Bangla calendar, is being celebrated following its all rituals at the venue along with bringing out the traditional Mangal Shobhajatra organised by the Fine Arts Faculty of Dhaka University.
But, due to the ongoing holy month of Ramadan, it is being celebrated on a limited scale.
The main Mangal Shobhajatra parade, which was declared an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO in 2016, started at 9am and ended at 9:40am. Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Md Akhtaruzzaman, and State Minister for Culture KM Khalid were in the front row of the procession.
People from all walks of life also joined in the celebration. The participants started dancing to the beat of the drum after the Mangal Shobhajatra started. Many people stood on both sides of the road and enjoyed the procession. The gathering of people began in Dhaka University campus, Shahbagh and its surrounding areas since morning. Women were dressed in red and white dresses, with colorful flower tiaras on their heads. Men were seen to wear yellow-red-white panjabi.
People who came to join the procession and the festivities in Ramna and Dhaka University area said there are fewer people this year than in previous times. However, they say that they have been able to move around comfortably as there are fewer people.
Rabeya Rabu brought the family, she said, "This time I could see the procession. I brought my four-year-old daughter to teach her Bengali traditions."
Sunil Kumar came from Rampura and said that there were comparatively fewer people this year than last time.
"It can be due to fasting and the intense summer heat," he added.
Norwegian citizen Karen has come to watch the Mangal Shobhajatra with her family, they have been in Bangladesh for a year. Her husband works in Bangladesh.
Karen can speak little Bengala. She said, "It feels good to come to this event. Very colorful. Happy new year."
Security has been beefed up in the adjacent areas to avoid untoward incidents. SWAT personnel along with police and RAB members were on both sides of the procession.
President Md Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina greeted the nation on the occasion of Pahela Baishakh.
In a statement, President Md Abdul Hamid asked all to build a happy and prosperous "Smart Bangladesh" free from hunger and poverty by embracing the liberal spirit of the Liberation War.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday in a video message, wished to build a happy and prosperous Smart Bangladesh in the coming years removing all darkness and hurdles.
Pahela Baishakh is one of the most colourful festivals through which the Bangalees bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new year.
The government has drawn up an elaborate programme. The Mangal Shobhajatra is being brought out at divisional, district and upazila levels to reach to the grassroots as it has earned international recognition.
Business communities, especially in the rural areas, open their traditional "Halkhata", new account books. On the day traders also offer sweets to customers.
Different government and non-government organisations, socio-cultural platforms, including Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Bangladesh Shishu Academy, Bangla Academy, Department of Public Libraries, the National Museum, Kabi Nazrul Institute, Copyright Office, National Book Centre, Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation, the Department of Archives and Library and Dhaka University will hold various programmes along with seminars, exhibitions and quiz, essay and art compositions to observe the day.
As part of the Bengali New Year celebrations, Baishakhi rallies will be organised in all districts, upazilas and unions of the country.
On the occasion, all museum and archaeological sites will remain open for all while children, students, and people with disabilities and autism will be allowed to visit the museum free of cost.
Bangladesh missions abroad are also organising different programmes to welcome the Bangla new wear.
Some historians attribute the Bengali calendar to the 7th-century king Shashanka, which was later modified by the Mughal emperor Akbar for the purpose of tax collection.
During the Mughal rule, land taxes were collected from Bengali people according to the Islamic Hijri calendar. This calendar was a lunar calendar, and its new year did not coincide with the solar agricultural cycles.
