“Nauka Baich is a part and parcel of Bengali culture”

Traditional Boat Race (`Nauka Baich`) has been enriching Bengali culture and heritage side by side with entertaining the common people for centuries together everywhere in riverine Bangladesh.

The opinion came at inaugural ceremony of the four-day Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Boat Race Competition-2016 at Bhogdanga Union Parisahd point of the river Dharla under Sadar upazila in Kurigram district on Wednesday afternoon.

Twenty teams from different areas of Kurigram, Gaibandha and Rangpur districts have been participating in the competition being organised by the organising committee of the competition.

Bhogdanga union Chairman Saidur Rahman as the chief guest formally inaugurated the boat race competition in the ceremony presided over by convener of the organising committee Sabdul Haque.

Former chairmen Abdul Malek of Ghoghadaho union and Abdul Gafur of Jatrapur union, local Awami League leader Tofazzal Hossain, addressed the ceremony, among others, in presence of hundreds of spectators.

On the inaugural day, eight boat-race teams, including `Duranto Chita` of Roumari, `Hanshi-Khushi` of Pateswari, `Banglar Bagh` of Poyradanga, `Ekota Express` of Ghoghadaho, `Bhai-Bon`of Jatrapur, `Dada-Nati` of Kanchir Char, `Desh Bandhu` of Kurarpar and `Dosher Doa` of Bhogdanga Kanchir Char took part in the race.

Sabdul Haque said that the champion, runner-up, second runner up and third runner-up teams would be awarded with a motorcycle, a cow, a colour television and a mobile phone set respectively on the concluding day on December 10 next.

The chief guest called for patronising and nurturing the traditional sports and cultural events to revive past glory of Bengali culture, heritage and social values in building a crime-free society through creating scopes for entertainments in rural areas.

Source: BSS