#thenewscompany : The nation is set to celebrate “Pahela Baishakh”, Bengali New Year, 1423 amid much enthusiasm and traditional gaiety as tens of thousands of people are expected to join the “Nabo Barsho” festivities across the country. Different socio-cultural organizations and government institutions have drawn up elaborate programmes like musical functions, colourful marches and street side Baishakhi fairs in the capital as elsewhere across the country to welcome the Bengali New Year, said a press release.
However, business communities, especially in the rural areas are ready to open their traditional ‘Halkhata’, new account books to welcome the Bengali New year. President M Abdul Hamid, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have issued separate messages greeting the countrymen on the occasion of Pahela Baishakh. The day is a public holiday.
Different national dailies will publish colourful supplements while Bangladesh Television and Bangladesh Betar will air special programmes highlighting the significance of the Bengali New Year, Pahela Baishakh. The programmes of the day will begin in the city with the musical soiree of Chhayanat, a leading cultural organization of the country at Ramna Batamul at dawn. Bangladesh Television, Bangladesh Betar and private TV channels will telecast live programme of “Chhayanat”.
City people will start the day with the traditional breakfast of ‘panta bhat’ (soaked rice), green chillies, onion, and fried fish at Ramna Park, Suhrawardy Uddyan, Dhaka University Campus, Rabindra Sarobor at Dhanmondi and other amusement places. Important buildings and establishments as well as city streets and islands will be illuminated with colourful lights. Preparations for celebrations of ‘Chaitra Sangkranti and ‘Pahela Baishakh’ with various colourful programmes are going on full swing in Khulna University (KU) and Khulna University and Engineering Technology (KUET).
Students of two universities are working day and night to organize the traditional ‘Mongol Shobhajatra’ from their campuses on the morning of April 14, with ‘Rakhi Bandhan’ (friendship ties)ceremony, which would be inaugurated by the VC of KU professor Dr M Fayequzzaman and the VC of KUET professor Dr Mohammed Alamgir. The two separate rallies will end at their respective campuses after parading city streets. A kite festival, cultural function and a fair will be held at KU on Chaitra 30, while colourful procession, cultural function, lathikhela and magic show will be held in the campus.
While visiting the campus today, this correspondent found that students of Fine Arts Institute of KU are busy for preparing different Naboborsho items. To mark the Naboborsho, KUET will celebrate day-long programme on Pohela Baishakh. The day will begin with a colorful procession (Mongal Shovajatra) focusing on Bangalee heritage at the campus in the morning.
