BANGLADESH

Apart from the Bengali-speaking people across the country, foreigners also celebrated Pahela Baishakh, marking the advent of Bengali New Year, amid fanfare, festivity and gaiety.

They rushed to Ramna Batamul, the main venue of the celebrations, Suhrawardy Udyan, Shahbagh, Dhaka University campus and other programme venues in the city and elsewhere in the country to hail the New Year 1419.

Talking to bdnews24.com on the celebrations of the Bengali New Year, Eric Woods, an education expert of the Commonwealth International, said, "Festivity is all around which is very fascinating."

"Though I'm not a Bangladeshi national, the festival has touched my heart."

Jehoma Gerson, a Dutch tourist who has come to Bangladesh for the first time, said, "It appears that I'm in my own country. In our country, we celebrate Queen's Day in the second week of April. We wear colourful dresses and enjoy throughout the day."

Two Belgium nationals – Gym Ross and Pierre Martin – who have been in Dhaka for the last one year took part in the Mongol Shobha Jatra, one of the major attractions of the Baishakhi celebration in the city brought out by the students and teachers of the Faculty of Fine Arts (FFA) of Dhaka University.

Asked about their reaction, they said, "Excellent, we've enjoyed the whole arrangement very much."

An Argentinean couple Diego Augustine and Ursula Augustine who have come to Bangladesh three weeks back said, "Today, everything is very colourful. We've are enjoying it very much."

British national Bob McIntosh who has been in Bangladesh as project advisor of a non-government organisation said he is overwhelmed by the fun and frolic around.

"It never thought there could be such beautiful art work here," he added.

After seeing colour combinations used in the Mongol Shobha Jatra of the Fine Arts faculty of Dhaka University, he said the folk culture of the country is very rich.

Rebecca Parton and Loyen Hertz, two students of Vermont University and Chicago University of the USA, said in broken Bangla: "Shubho Nababarsha".

Rebecca said, "It's our first time in Bangladesh. We feel the people of the country are very friendly and cordial."

"I come to see Mongol Shobha Jatra every year during the celebrations of Pahela Boishakh. It feels good to come here," said Taiko Mitsuhashi, an official of Japanese embassy in Dhaka, who has been here for the last three years.

Indian Border Security Force (BSF) on Saturday gunned down a Bangladeshi cattle trader along Chapainawabganj border.

Lt Col Jahangir Hossain, commander of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) 39 Battalion in Chapainawabganj, said the shooting took place at Chowka border of Shibganj upazila early in the morning.

The deceased was identified as Faruk Hossain, 25, son of Jasim Uddin from Parchowka village in the upazila.

Faruk died on the spot when BSF members of 125 Battalion of Shabdelpur fired on Bangladeshi cattle traders who were returning to Bangladesh from India with cattle around 5:30am, the BGB battalion commander said.

"BSF took away Faruk's body. Others fled the scene," Jahangir added.

He said BGB has sent a letter asking the BSF to return the body.

On Apr 4, another Bangladeshi was killed by BSF along Shingnagar border in Chapainawabganj.

Bangladeshis are celebrating the Bengali New Year 1419 amid festivity, gaiety and fanfare on Saturday, the first day of Baishakh.

After Chhayanat's programme at Ramna Batamul at dawn and Fine Arts Institute's Mongol Shobha Jatra, the central attractions of the celebration, people spread to Shahbagh, Ramna and Dhaka University.

Those who failed to attend the programmes in the morning were seen thronging Shahbagh, the centre of celebrations, wearing colourful dresses. Most of the women seen on the city streets wore white sarees with red borders while men wore red and white fatua or panjabee.

Vendors were selling traditional food items, masks and toys. People were seen buying something or the other at the fair.

Dhaka University's Bengali Department organised a programme in front of the Arts Building, Music Department and Kendrio Khelaghar Asor at Bot-Tola and Philosophy Department at Amtola.

A concert started on Mall Square of DU around 12:30pm.

Two other concerts were held at Muhsin Hall ground and Kendrio Khelaghar ground in the afternoon.

Wrishij, a cultural group, held a musical programme in front of the Shishupark in the morning.

Programmes are also being held at Rabindra Sarobor in Dhanmondi.

People from a broad spectrum of society started to assemble at Ramna Park, the prime venue of the festival, since early in the morning.

Celebrations began with Pahela Baishakh's central attraction, Chhayanat's cultural programme, at 6:15am at Ramna Batamul in the capital, which is not only the heart of the celebration but also a symbol of protest against oppression.

The artists sang Raga Bhairab at the beginning and then Rabindra Sangeet – Purbo Gogon Bhage.

They presented other songs of Rabindranath Tagore, national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam, Atul Prasad Sen, Rajanikanta Sen, Shah Abdul Karim, Lalon Shah, Torab Ali Shah, Gyan Prokash Ghosh and others.

bdnews24.com broadcast live Chhayanat's programme from Ramna Batamul.

After the programme that ended at 9:15am with the national anthem Amar Sonar Bangla, another unique attraction of the celebration known as 'Mongol Shobha Jatra' started from in front of the Fine Arts Institute of Dhaka University.

In keeping with the past, the institute once again organised a procession on this year's theme – the maritime boundary dispute victory and demand to speed up the trials of the war criminals.

The rally commenced from the Fine Arts Institute's 'Bokultala' premises with masks and papier-mâché. It ended at the same place after parading through streets of Ruposhi Bangla Hotel, Shahbagh intersection, TSC and the university campus.

A 40-feet boat with a peacock figurehead from the fairytale symbolised the 'victory of sea' in the rally.

Two monster-like structures symbolising the war criminals of the Liberation War of 1971 were carried seeking pace in the ongoing trial for war crimes.

Apart from these, artefacts like elephants, horses, tigers and a bird with the appearance of a leaf were also part of the rally.

The Shobha Jatra offered everything — fun, entertainment, beauty, grandeur, eye-soothing images and thought-provoking messages.

The origin of Pahela Baishakh can be traced back to the Mughal period when Emperor Akbar introduced the Bangla calendar to streamline tax collection. In the course of time, it became a part of Bengali culture and tradition.

The name 'Baishakh' is derived from the name of a star 'Bishakha'. On that day Akbar used to go to his subjects and distribute sweets among them.

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) have installed 40 close-circuit TV cameras and police 76 more to keep an eye on the trouble-makers. Police have also set up road blockades and check-posts at 20 points across the capital.

A statement from the RAB headquarters said on Friday some 4,500 members of the elite force would be deployed across the country, including 2,000 personnel at different points in and around the city to ensure security.