Today is Pahela Baishakh, the first day of the first month of Bangla calendar year 1413. The weary sun of 1412 set last evening and took away all the sorrows of loss and melancholy of unfulfilled expectations. And a new sunrise this morning brings with it new hopes and spirit for better days as it ushers in the first day of Bangla New Year.
Everything around will wear a bright, colourful look and people will radiate joy and happiness as Bangalees at home and across the
globe celebrate Pahela Baishakh amid fanfare and gaiety.
In the capital, the most colourful celebration of the New Year begins at the Ramna Batamul at sunrise with Chhayanaut's programme.
A large number of people will gather early in the morning under the banyan tree at the Ramna Park as the Chhayanaut artistes welcome the day with Rabindranath Tagore's famous song "Esho hey
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Baishakh, esho, esho" (Welcome, O Baishakh, welcome).
Students of the Institute of FineArts of Dhaka University will take out a Mangai Shobhajatra (an auspicious rally) at 8:00am with the participants wearing colourful masks.
Major shopping malls and boutiques in the city have witnessed a massive presence of shoppers in the last few days, buying clothes for the New Year celebration. "People are preparing to celebrate Pahela Baishakh defying all fears and anxieties created by the recent spate of bomb blasts," said a sales assistant at a boutique.
The Pahela Baishakh celebration has its origin rooted deep in the cultural tradition of the nation.
Mughal Emperor Akbar introduced the Bangla New Year to perk up tax collection. In keeping with the tradition, traders and shopkeepers open "Halkhata", fresh accounts book, and offer sweets to the customers and visitors.
The day is a public holiday. Men, women and children of all ages clad in panjabi, pyjama and sari with red borders will throng traditional Baishakh! Mela (fair), one of the major features of the celebration, and cultural functions in the capital and elsewhere.
People will be gorging themselves on Bangalee delicacies such as Paanta Bhat (rice cooled in water overnight), hilsha fry, lentil and smoked chilli at home and places of Baishakh! congregations.
Kite-flying is an especial attraction atthe rural fairs.
SECURITY MEASURES IN DHAKA
The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has planned a three-tier security blanket today around the Ramna Park, the prime venue of the Pahela Baishakh celebration, with deployment of 10,000 law enforcers including 3,000 Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) members, to ward off any untoward incident.
The huge number of law enforcers will be deployed at Ramna Park, Suhrawardi Udyan, Dhaka University campus and its adjoining areas. Besides, at least 22 teams of plainclothes policemen and two bomb disposal teams of the DMP will patrol the area.
The DMP will also set up 25 video cameras while the Rab will install 15 closed-circuit cameras and fire observatory towers.
At least 10 people were killed and scores injured in a deadly bomb attack on the Pahela Baishakh function at Ramna Batamul in 2001.
CULTURAL PROGRAMMES
Different social and cultural organisations have taken up elaborate programmes to celebrate the day.
The Bangla Academy arranges musical soiree to welcome the New Yearatthe Nazrul stage at 8:00am.
The Shilpakala Academy will hold a cultural programme at its plaza at 5:00pm.
The Libertarian War Museum organises a programme of dance recital and Baul songs at 10:00am.
The Jatiya Press Club will hold
Baishakhi breakfast at 8:00am. It will pay homage to its lifetime members at 9:00am and host a cultural programme featuring renowned artistes at 10:00am.
The Nazrul Academy organises a cultural programme at the Nazrul Bhaban at Maghbazarat5:00pm.
Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, Leader of the Opposition Sheikh Hasina, Dhaka City Corporation Mayor Sadek Hossain Khoka and leaders of different political parties issued separate messages yesterday wishing the countrymen a happy new year.
Our Chittagong University (CU) correspondent reports: Agami, a social and cultural organisation of Chittagong University, has chalked out daylong programmes to celebrate Pahela Baishakh on the university campus.
The programme titled "Prothom Alo-Daily Star Baishakhi Utsab-1413" will hold an exhibition of traditional folk materials, pictures and handicrafts. The programmes also include traditional rural sports, book fair and cultural functions.
Resident Editor of the daily Prothom Alo Abul Momen will inaugurate the journey of the CU shuttle train decorated with colourful paintings and murals at city's Battali Railway Station at8:10am.
The daily Prothom Alo and The Daily Star are jointly sponsoring the festival, the media partner of which is the local daily Azadi.