Nation celebrates Pahela Baishakh

The nation celebrated its most colourful and traditional festival Pahela Baishakh, the first day of Bangla New Year 1423, on Thursday with much fanfare, festivity and enthusiasm together with a vow to build a secular, happy and prosperous Bangladesh.
Thousands of people thronged the streets and different popular places in the capital and elsewhere across the country as they welcomed the year with colourful processions, songs and fairs, beginning at dawn. Besides, businesses started the day with a new ledger, closing out the last one.
Venues of celebrations in Dhaka such as Ramna Park, Dhaka University and Rabindra Sarobar and outside the capital were swarmed with people welcoming the new year.
In the capital, the day’s programme began with artistes of Chhayanat rendering songs at Ramna Batamul at sunrise. People in their hundreds gather at the venue amid heightened security. Cultural organisation Chhayanaut has been holding the music soiree there since 1965 and still remains the focal point of the celebrations.
Fine arts faculty of Dhaka University organised its ‘Mangal Shobhajatra’ following the Chhayanat’s programme. People from all walks of life and ages carrying flutes, festoons and traditional objects reflecting Bengali culture and heritage joined the procession seeking well-being for the nation and vowing to build a non-communal, happy and prosperous Bangladesh.
Men in traditional pajama and punjabi and women in white and red saris joined the celebrations along with children in colourful attires. They also relished Bengali delicacy of panta bhat (rice soaked in water).
As there were restrictions on outdoor programmes after 5:00pm, many were seen rushing to celebration venues in the capital from the morning. Many celebrators were, however, seen at different places of celebrations after 5:00pm, although no outdoor programmes were there.
The celebrations reached a peak in the afternoon with people in their thousands thronged different popular and historic spots in Dhaka and elsewhere.
As per the Dhaka Metropolitan Police directives, nobody could enter Ramna Park and Suhrawardy Udyan after 4:00pm as all the outdoor programmes were rolled back in the two venues by 5:30pm.
Cultural organisation Surer Dhara and private television channel Channel i jointly organised a celebration programme at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre at dawn.
The Ministry of Cultural Affairs, Bangla Academy, Shilpakala Academy, Sammilita Sangskritik Jote, Bangabandhu Sangskritik Jote, Bangladesh Shishu Academy, Jatiya Press Club, Dhaka Reporters’ Unity and different organisations celebrated the day with festivity in the capital.
Besides, Pahela Baishakh was also celebrated in Chittagong, Khulna, Rajshahi, Sylhet, Barisal, and Rangpur divisional headquarters, and other districts with fairs and cultural programmes, reported New Age correspondents.
President Abdul Hamid, prime minister Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Khaleda Zia and leader of the opposition in parliament Raushan Ershad in separate message greeted the nation on the occasion.
All public and private radio and televisions aired special programmes while newspapers published special supplements.
While Bengalis celebrate Pahela Baishakh, the hill communities in the Chittagong Hill Tracts held Baisabi celebrations at the same time.
On Baisabi, a term formed by the first syllables of Tripura festival Boisuk, Marma’s Sangrain and Chakma festival Biju or Tanchangya’s Bisu, people welcome the new year.
The day was a national holiday.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net