Month-long flower festival begins in Chattogram

A month-long colourful flower festival kicked off today at the Chattogram DC Park in the Fouzdarhat area.

The month-long event features over 100,000 plants from 136 different species, sourced from both local and international vendors. This year's festival introduces a unique floating flower garden alongside a traditional rural fair, where visitors can also purchase flowers from designated stalls.

Cabinet Secretary Abdur Rashid officially inaugurated the festival in the morning.

He said, "Flowers are symbols of beauty and love, captivating people and inspiring good virtues. Through this festival, may people grow closer to flowers and may their hearts soften like them, fostering unity, love, and stronger bonds in society."

"We must work for peace in the country. Everyone must work together to achieve prosperity in this nation," he added.

The inaugural ceremony, chaired by Deputy Commissioner Farida Khanam, was attended by several dignitaries. These included Additional Divisional Commissioner Nurullah Nuri, Deputy Director of Local Government Noman Hossain, and Additional Deputy Commissioners A K M Golam Morshed Khan, Kamruzzaman, and Sharif Uddin.

Other key participants included Additional District Magistrate Mahbubul Haque, Sitakunda Upazila Executive Officer K M Rafiqul Islam, Senior Assistant Commissioner Alauddin, and Assistant Commissioner (Land) Abdullah Al Mamun, among others.

In addition to the diverse floral displays, the festival offers various cultural activities, including violin performances, movie screenings, traditional doll dance shows, a kite festival, a book fair, a pitha festival, and a multicultural celebration.

Visitors will need to pay an entry fee of Tk50, up from Tk30 last year, with tickets available both onsite and online for convenience. To ease access, tourist and shuttle buses will operate from Tiger Pass for those traveling from the city centre.

Every day, cultural events showcasing Bangladesh's rich traditions will be held within the park. The festival will conclude with a grand concert on 4 February.

DC Park, developed in 2023 on a 194-acre piece of government-owned land reclaimed from encroachers, has become a popular recreational destination. Once a hotspot for illegal activities, the park now boasts two large lakes for boating and kayaking, alongside a dedicated children's zone, making it a family-friendly attraction.