Pahela Baishakh celebrated amid festivity

After two years of a break due to the coronavirus pandemic, Pahela Baishakh, the first day of the Bangla New Year, was celebrated in Dhaka and other parts of the country with full enthusiasm and festivity on Thursday.

The celebration began around 6:15 am with the voice of artiste Sravanti Dhar who presented raga, a melodic framework, to welcome the Bangla New Year 1429.

Later, the artists from Chhayanaut started performing Tagore’s famous song “Mon Jago Mangalaloke” under the banyan tree of the Ramna Park.

Earlier police said no organisation will be allowed to continue their programmes after 2 pm.

The organisers have been asked to refrain from setting up food stalls including Panta Bhat at Ramna fair premises showing respect to the holy month of Ramadan. Also, Chhayanaut has been asked to end the programme by 11 am.

People from all walks of life thronged different popular and historic places in the capital as well as across the country to welcome the Bangla New Year, with new hopes and aspirations for a better, peaceful year.

However, as Pahela Baishakh is being celebrated during the holy month of Ramadan, the festivities have been scaled down.

The celebrations of Pahela Baishakh have become an integral part of Bangalees for over six centuries.

Mughal Emperor Akbar introduced the Bangla calendar in the year 1556 of the Gregorian calendar in a bid to streamline the timing of land tax collection in the then ‘Subah Bangla’ region, much of which falls under Bangladesh.

The day is a public holiday.

On the occasion, President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages, greeting the country’s people and all Bangla-speaking people across the globe.

All TV channels aired special programmes and newspapers brought out special publications to mark the day.