Nation celebrates Pahela Baishakh amid festivity

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 Baishakh to welcome the Bangla New Year 1424.

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 Baishakh esho esho” everywhere in Bangladesh gave the day really a festive dimension.

Men in traditional pajamas 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.

National dailies have brought out colourful supplements while state-run Bangladesh Television and Bangladesh Betar and private TV channels and radio stations aired special programmes to mark the occasion. 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.

The day was a public holiday.

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

They wished peace, happiness and prosperity of the people and the country in the New Year.

Source: BSS