Nation celebrates Pahela Boishakh amid festivity

DHAKA, April 14, 2014(BSS) – Thousands of people thronged the streets and different popular places in the capital and elsewhere across the country as the nation today celebrated its most colourful and traditional festival Pahela Boishakh to welcome the Bangla New Year 1421. 

Cultural and musical groups started off the first day of the Bangla year with songs and other performances at city parks while students of the Institute of Fine Arts of Dhaka University and youngsters brought out a “Mongol Shobhajatra” (procession of good wishes) in the morning as part of the carnival. 

The day broke with the chirping of birds as usual, but the singing of “Esho hey Boishakh esho esho” everywhere in Bangladesh gave the day really a festive dimension. 

Men in traditional pajama and punjabi and women in white and red saris joined the celebrations along with children in colourful attires, streaming through Dhaka streets as the first light of the sun rang in Bangla New Year.

The people gorged themselves on Bangla delicacies of “panta bhat” (rice soaked in water) and fried “hilsa” and pepper at home and places of Boishakhi congregations, the major ones being in the capital’s Ramna Batamul and on Dhaka University campus. 

National dailies have brought colourful supplements while state-run Bangladesh Television and Bangladesh Betar and private TV channels and radio stations aired special programmes to mark the occasion while festive mood gripped all major cities and towns with different programmes of cultural groups.

Ramna Batamul appeared as the main attraction of the New Year celebrations as “Chhayanaut” and other cultural groups have been 
staging traditional functions since morning.

President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in separate messages greeted the countrymen on the occasion of Pahela Boishakh.

They wished peace, happiness and prosperity of the people and the country in the new year. 

On the occasion of Pahela Boishakh, Dhaka Mohanagar Awami League brought out a colourful procession at 8.30 am from Bahadur Shah Park in the city that ended in front of the central office of Awami League on Bangabandhu Avenue. 

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 sociocultural organizations celebrated the day with festivity.

Reports reaching here said Pahela Boishakh was also celebrated in Chittagong, Khulna, Rajshahi, Sylhet, Barisal, Rangpur, Faridpur, Madaripur, Gopalganj, Shariatpur, Mymensingh, Habiganj, Magura, Narayanganj, Munshiganj, Rangamati, Bagerhat, Kurigram, Kushtia, Joypurhat and other districts amid huge enthusiasm. 

According to historical records, celebrations of Pahela Boishakh, the first day of the Bangla Calendar Year, started from Emperor Akbar’s reign when it was customary to clear all dues on the last day of the Bengali month of Chaitra with businessmen opening “halkhata” or new book of accounts in their shops. 

In line with the tradition, the rural Bangladesh, with people thoroughly scrubbing and cleaning the homes, bathing early in the morning and dressing in fine clothes, rises with a new hope on this day.

Source: http://www.bssnews.net/newsDetails.php?cat=0&id=402666&date=2014-04-14