Dhaka, Apr 14 – Pahela Baishakh, the first day of Bangla calendar, is being celebrated across Bangladesh on Sunday amid traditional festivities and enthusiasm.
The festivities began at dawn with the artistes from Chhayanaut welcoming the day with Tagore’s famous song ‘Esho hey Baishakh, esho, esho (come O Baishakh, come)’ under the banyan tree at the Ramna Park.
True to their centuries-old tradition, people from all walks of life will throng different popular and historic spots in the capital and elsewhere across the country to welcome the Bangla New Year, 1426 with new hopes and aspirations for a better, peaceful year.
The celebrations of Pahela Baishakh have become an integral part of Bangalees since it began over six centuries back.
Mughal Emperor Akbar introduced the Bangla calendar in 1556 of the Gregorian calendar in a bid to streamline the timing of land tax collection in the then ‘Subah Bangla’ region, the much of which falls under Bangladesh.
The day is a public holiday.
On the occasion, President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages greeting country’s people and all Bangla-speaking people across the globe.
Shopkeepers are opening ‘Halkhata’ (
On every return of Pahela Baishakh, also the country’s biggest cultural festival, people of all walks of life, especially the youths, come out on the roads at daybreak wearing traditional dresses to celebrate the day.
Students of the Institute of Fine Art of Dhaka University are scheduled to bring out a Mangal Shobhajatra (procession of good wishes) from in front of the institute in the morning as part of the carnival.
People will have a special feast, with many trying ‘Panta Bhat (watery rice)’ with fried Hilsa, lentils, green chilli and onions at homes, restaurants and fairs following the rural tradition of Bangla culture.
Tight security measures have been taken to ensure smooth celebrations of Pahela Baishakh.
No one will be allowed to wear masks and play Vuvuzela on the day to avert any unpleasant incident and police will escort the Mangal Shobhajatra and keep surveillance from the roofs of buildings. – UNB
BSS reports: Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan has said that all possible measures have been taken by the government for smooth celebration of Pahela Baishakh, the first day of the Bengali New Year 1426.
“Adequate numbers of law enforcement agencies have already been deployed to ensure tight security in the city including all Baishakhi venues tomorrow,” he told journalists after observing security measures at Ramna Batamul.
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr Javed Patwary, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Asaduzzaman Miah and other officials concerned were accompanied by the minister.
“The capacity of our law enforcing agencies has already been increased and they are now ready to face any sorts of challenges,” said the home minister.
He said cybersecurity unit of DMP will keep watch on social media to prevent any sorts of rumour which might cause unrest in the country centring the Baishakh celebration.
“The law enforcement agencies are now on high alert in Dhaka and across the country and there is no security threat on the celebration of Baishakhi as the law enforcement agencies have taken necessary measures to ensure foolproof security of the people on the day,” Asaduzzaman added.
He said all celebration areas in the capital are under the radius of closed-circuit cameras. All rallies and big gatherings will be under compact security system, he said.
The minister urged all irrespective of their castes and creeds to participate in the celebration fearlessly.
The DMP, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), special branch of police, detective branch of police, intelligence agencies and other authorities have already been deployed to ensure security in all Baishakhi venues.
Earlier, the minister warned that legal actions would be taken against them who will play vuvuzela and smoke during the celebration.
On the Pahela Baishakh celebration, the main venues particularly Ramna Park, Suhrawardi Udyan, Dhaka University, Rabindra Sarobar, Hatirjheel, Gulshan Park, Bahadurshah Park and its surrounding areas have already been brought under stringent security arrangement by setting up closed-circuit camera televisions, archways, and watchtowers and deploying law enforcers in large numbers, according to DMP.
The DMP urged the city dwellers not to carry trolley bag, large vanity bag, knife, firearms, scissor, blade and gaslight for the sake of security.
It also requested the city dwellers to leave Ramna Park and Suhrawardi Udyan areas by 6 pm on the day.
There are eight gates for Ramna Park venue of which three will be used for entrance and two for the exit.
Adequate numbers of police including SWAT, plain clothes, fine arts team and Dhaka University volunteers would be deployed to avert any unwanted incident.
Special teams- plainclothes police, detectives, an intelligence team, will be deployed along with regular police force to prevent untoward incidents and eve-teasing during the Baishakhi celebration.
