The saga of Bangla calendar | The Business Standard
Skip to main content
  • Epaper
  • Economy
    • Aviation
    • Banking
    • Bazaar
    • Budget
    • Industry
    • NBR
    • RMG
    • Corporates
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • Videos
    • TBS Today
    • TBS Stories
    • TBS World
    • News of the day
    • TBS Programs
    • Podcast
    • Editor's Pick
  • World+Biz
  • Features
    • Panorama
    • The Big Picture
    • Pursuit
    • Habitat
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Mode
    • Tech
    • Explorer
    • Brands
    • In Focus
    • Book Review
    • Earth
    • Food
    • Luxury
    • Wheels
  • Subscribe
    • Epaper
    • GOVT. Ad
  • More
    • Sports
    • TBS Graduates
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • Gallery
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Magazine
    • Climate Change
    • Health
    • Cartoons
  • বাংলা
The Business Standard

Wednesday
May 28, 2025

Sign In
Subscribe
  • Epaper
  • Economy
    • Aviation
    • Banking
    • Bazaar
    • Budget
    • Industry
    • NBR
    • RMG
    • Corporates
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • Videos
    • TBS Today
    • TBS Stories
    • TBS World
    • News of the day
    • TBS Programs
    • Podcast
    • Editor's Pick
  • World+Biz
  • Features
    • Panorama
    • The Big Picture
    • Pursuit
    • Habitat
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Mode
    • Tech
    • Explorer
    • Brands
    • In Focus
    • Book Review
    • Earth
    • Food
    • Luxury
    • Wheels
  • Subscribe
    • Epaper
    • GOVT. Ad
  • More
    • Sports
    • TBS Graduates
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • Gallery
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Magazine
    • Climate Change
    • Health
    • Cartoons
  • বাংলা
WEDNESDAY, MAY 28, 2025
The saga of Bangla calendar

Thoughts

Dr Muhammad Abdul Mazid/former Chairman, NBR
14 April, 2022, 03:00 pm
Last modified: 14 April, 2022, 03:05 pm

Related News

  • Chhayanaut welcomes Bangla New Year with traditional cultural fest at Ramna Batamul
  • Non-communal Bangladesh will continue to thrive alongside Bangla New Year celebration: Mayor Taposh
  • Mangal Shobhajatra celebrated with drums and music
  • Nation set to celebrate Pahela Baishakh tomorrow
  • Schools, colleges asked to hold Mangal Shobhajatra on Pahela Boishakh

The saga of Bangla calendar

As we celebrate the Bangla New Year, let us look back at the history of how the very calendar came to be in its current form

Dr Muhammad Abdul Mazid/former Chairman, NBR
14 April, 2022, 03:00 pm
Last modified: 14 April, 2022, 03:05 pm
Abdul Mazid. Illustration: TBS
Abdul Mazid. Illustration: TBS

Abul Fateh Jalal Uddin Muhammad Akbar (1542-1705), the third Mughal emperor of Delhi, had nine ministers in his imperial cabinet, known in history as the Navaratna. 

Among them, Abul Fazl was the Grand Minister; Raja Todar Mall was the Minister of Finance; Raja Birbal alias Mahesh Das was an adviser on Hindu affairs as well as the Chief General; Abu al-Faiz ibn Mubarak alias Faizi was the titleholder of Malik uShu'ara or Sabhakabi (Poet Laureate), Raja Mansingh-1 was Akbar's General, Mia Tansen was a musician, Mollah Dopiyaja was a witty adviser, Fakir Azio Ao Deen was the minister of religion and Abdul Rahim Khan e Khanan was a poet and Akbar's mentor. 

The members of the Navaratna contributed greatly - with their knowledge and wisdom - to Akbar's pursuit of great military power, expansion of the state and consolidation of administrative power, religion, money and revenue. 

The Business Standard Google News Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel

One such contribution was to introduce the crop year that is still remembered by the people of Subah Bangla (present-day Bangladesh). The crop calendar season introduced by him is the only one that is still alive today as Bangla San (Bangla year). But why introduce a new calendar?

The Bangla year originated for the convenience of revenue collection. Before this, government rents used to be collected on a lunar year basis. Back then, the southeast coastal region known as Subah Bangla (the State of Bengal), was an agricultural economy and land tax and harvest rent were collected based on periodical payments for crop production. 

For revenue collection purposes, the Hijri fiscal year was followed for calculation.  But since the Hijri fiscal year was based on lunar months it often did not coincide and correspond to a crop season. Lunar years were 11 days shorter in duration and a predetermined month for payments often did not match with the agricultural seasons. 

For example, farmers usually market their crops in Baishakh. After the farmers had consumed their share of the produce, the government would come to collect the rent. If their calendars did not match the season, there would be no crops in people's hands (because either they came too early or too late), and no money as well. As a result, it could create great inconvenience for the revenue department in preserving the accounts in the collection of revenue or rent. 

One day some representatives from the Hindu community of the state went to Emperor Akbar. They persuaded the emperor to consider a specific year. Shortly afterwards, dissatisfaction arose again among the emperor's revenue department officials. In their plea to the Emperor, they argued that it was not possible to fix the period of revenue collection based on the Hijri calendar system and urged the government to introduce a science-based new year with a combination of Hijri and solar years.

Akbar discussed this matter with his Grand Minister  Abul Fazl and Finance Minister Raja Todar Mall. On their advice, the emperor entrusted the task to Mir Fatehullah Siraji, a prominent scientist and astronomer.

Syed Mir Fateh Ullah Siraj, a Sufi of the Safavid dynasty of Persia, was a mathematician, astronomer, philosopher, physicist, mechanical engineer and Islamic jurist. He was a disciple of Ghias al-Din Mansur (1461-1542), a renowned philosopher and scholar of the Qur'an and  Hadith. They were also well-known as makers of gunpowder weapons. In this capacity, Fateh Ullah Siraji joined Emperor Akbar's court in 1556 as a foreign specialist to create cannons. He was conferred with the title of 'Ayudaduddaula' or the Arm of Emperor Akbar, the Great. 

Mughal Emperor Akbar entrusted the task of inventing a new calendar to Mir Fatehullah Siraji, a prominent scientist and astronomer of that time. Photo: Collected
Mughal Emperor Akbar entrusted the task of inventing a new calendar to Mir Fatehullah Siraji, a prominent scientist and astronomer of that time. Photo: Collected

Astronomer Amir Fateh Ullah Siraji, who was entrusted with the task of inventing the new calendar, studied the lunar and solar eclipses of different regions of India. He reviewed and examined all the calendars prevalent at that time to develop the new Bangla calendar. 

Siraji derived the Hijri year 963 AH to be the year of Akbar's ascension to the throne. In 1585, Akbar ordered the computation of the Bangla calendar to initiate from that point, i.e., 963 AH or 1556 AD. 

The Muharram month in the Hijri calendar in 963 AH was Baishakh in the Bangla calendar. From that point on, 365 days count as a new year in the Bangla calendar, and its relationship with the season was established. This year was known in the royal court as Elahi year, Fasli year, etc.

Following Siraji's innovative calendar, a decree was issued by the Mughal court declaring that the land revenue or usury would be paid in Baishakh. 

This way, the month of Baishakh became the first month of the Bangla year. The 'Bangla Year' is undoubtedly considered very practical and scientific. This is because it is an inheritor of the lunar and solar systems simultaneously. As a result, the 'Bangla Year' is in harmony with the universally recognised English and Gregorian calendars.

Interestingly, the first Baishakh of  1556 AD/ 963 AH was on 11 April and in the current 1428 Bengali year, it falls on 14th April. In other words, in the 465 years that have passed since its initiation, there has been a  difference of only three days. And in the future, it is very unlikely that there will be more differences than this.

In designing the Bangla calendar, Siraji followed the tradition of  Shakabda, one of the oldest calendars still being followed in India, for the naming of days and months in the Bangla calendar. The names of weekdays are taken from the solar system: Robi (Sun), Mongol (Mars), Shoni (Saturn) etc. 

Experts believe that the names of the months in the Sun Nakshatraki rules are derived from the names of the constellations in the Nakshatraki rules: Sravan to Sravan, Bhadrapada to Bhadra, Ashwani to Ashwani, Rkatki to Rkatki, Agrahayan to Agrahayan, Padhesa to Padhesa, Magha to Magh, Falguni to Falgun.

But there were certain problems with the calendar as well. For example, it did not account for the leap year. In 1963, at the initiative of the Bangla Academy, a committee was formed under the leadership of Dr Muhammad Shahidullah (1885-1989) to reform the Bangla year. 

The research committee submitted its final report on February 16, 1966. In the light of this, the following decisions were taken by correcting the irregularities of days and dates with the provision of leap year in 1986:

 (1) The year has to start from the Bangabda, introduced during the Mughal period, during the reign of Emperor  Akbar.

(2) For the convenience of calculating the Bangla month, Baishakh to Bhadra will be 31 days per month and Ashwin to Chaitra will be 30 days.

The recommendation further states that the year, which is divisible by four, would be considered a leap year. On that basis, the present Bangla calendar was reformed and became effective from 1986 onwards.


The author is a former Secretary to the Government and former Chairman, NBR. Email: mazid.muhammad@gmail.com 

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard.

 

 

 

Top News

Bangla calendar / Bangla New Year

Comments

While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderation decisions are subjective. Published comments are readers’ own views and The Business Standard does not endorse any of the readers’ comments.

Top Stories

  • Leaders and activists of BNP gather at Nayapaltan ahead of the rally of three BNP affiliated organisations on Wednesday, 28 May 2025. Photo: Rajib Dhar/TBS
    BNP's youth bodies hold rally in Nayapaltan
  • Inflation, exchange rate shocks to intensify fiscal pressure in FY26
    Inflation, exchange rate shocks to intensify fiscal pressure in FY26
  • Screengrab from Google Maps shows the traffic situation in Motijheel, Paltan, Dainik Bangla Intersection and other Dhaka areas ahead of the BNP rally on Wednesday, 28 May 2025
    BNP, Jamaat rallies: Traffic clogs Dhaka roads, including Motijheel, Paltan, Dainik Bangla intersection

MOST VIEWED

  • Selim RF Hussain. Sketch: TBS
    BRAC Bank MD Selim RF Hussain resigns
  • Bangladesh Bank Governor Ahsan H Mansur. TBS Sketch
    Depositors need not worry as govt will take over banks before merger: BB governor
  • Graphics: TBS
    Suspicious banking activities surge by 56% since July: Cenbank
  • Photo: Collected
    DU student assaulted for protesting eve-teasing at Chadni Chowk
  • Illustration: TBS
    Bangladesh sees highest-ever per capita income of $2,820 in FY25, BBS provisional data shows
  • Officials protest inside the Secretariat on Tuesday, 27 May 2025, over a government ordinance amending the Public Service Act, 2018. Photo: Rajib Dhar
    Protest at Secretariat suspended as govt assures decision on ordinance tomorrow

Related News

  • Chhayanaut welcomes Bangla New Year with traditional cultural fest at Ramna Batamul
  • Non-communal Bangladesh will continue to thrive alongside Bangla New Year celebration: Mayor Taposh
  • Mangal Shobhajatra celebrated with drums and music
  • Nation set to celebrate Pahela Baishakh tomorrow
  • Schools, colleges asked to hold Mangal Shobhajatra on Pahela Boishakh

Features

In recent years, the Gor-e-Shaheed Eidgah has emerged as a strong contender for the crown of the biggest Eid congregation in the country, having hosted 600,000 worshippers in 2017. Photo: TBS

Gor-e-Shaheed Boro Maath: The heart of Dinajpur

1d | Panorama
The Hili Land Port, officially opened in 1997 but with trade roots stretching back to before Partition, has grown into a cornerstone of bilateral commerce.

Dhaka-Delhi tensions ripple across Hili’s markets and livelihoods

2d | Panorama
Photo: Collected

Desk goals: Affordable ways to elevate your study setup

2d | Brands
Built on a diamond-type frame, the Hornet 2.0 is agile but grounded. PHOTO: Asif Chowdhury

Honda Hornet 2.0: Same spirit, upgraded sting

2d | Wheels

More Videos from TBS

UCB aims to grow deposits by Tk12,000 crore this year

UCB aims to grow deposits by Tk12,000 crore this year

40m | TBS Programs
What did Jamaat leader ATM Azhar say after being released from prison?

What did Jamaat leader ATM Azhar say after being released from prison?

1h | TBS Today
How can we protect Dhaka’s rivers and canals from plastic waste?

How can we protect Dhaka’s rivers and canals from plastic waste?

3h | TBS Programs
Jamaat leader ATM Azhar released from prison after 13 years

Jamaat leader ATM Azhar released from prison after 13 years

4h | TBS Today
EMAIL US
contact@tbsnews.net
FOLLOW US
WHATSAPP
+880 1847416158
The Business Standard
  • About Us
  • Contact us
  • Sitemap
  • Advertisement
  • Privacy Policy
  • Comment Policy
Copyright © 2025
The Business Standard All rights reserved
Technical Partner: RSI Lab

Contact Us

The Business Standard

Main Office -4/A, Eskaton Garden, Dhaka- 1000

Phone: +8801847 416158 - 59

Send Opinion articles to - oped.tbs@gmail.com

For advertisement- sales@tbsnews.net