All forms of cultural expression should be allowed to flourish without obstruction, Chhayanaut President Dr Sarwar Ali has said.
“Pohela Boishakh is a significant day for expressing the identity of the Bengali nation. As in the past six decades, the day offers an opportunity to shed past grievances and reflect on the year gone by,” he added.
He made the comments on Tuesday morning at Chhayanaut’s traditional program at the Ramna Batamul in the capital to welcome the Bangla New Year.
Sarwar Ali said that hostile forces are trying to detach traditional Bangali music from its rich heritage. “We want to hear assurances from society—that everyone can sing without fear,” he said.
He noted that Pohela Boishakh is a special occasion for unveiling Bangali culture and identity. Last year’s Pohela Boishakh celebrations at Ramna were held without disruption, and Victory Day was also observed on an open stage on December 16.
However, just two days later, cultural institutions faced violence, including vandalism of musical instruments at Chhayanaut and destruction of children’s books at Nalanda. On the same night, arson attacks targeted two leading newspaper offices, followed by an attack on Udichi the next day.
He also recalled the harassment of Baul artistes in recent times and referred to the tragic incident that took place at Ramna Batamul in 2001.
Expressing hope, he said: “We dream of a motherland where the mind is without fear and the head is held high; where knowledge is free and the world is not broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls.”
Sarwar Ali further said that the world is currently facing turmoil, with Persian civilisation under severe strain due to US-Israeli aggression, leaving people globally anxious. On the first morning of the new year, he said, people in Bangladesh hope for world peace.
“We want to hear assurances from society—that journalists can express their views freely, that everyone can sing without fear, and that all cultural expressions can thrive without obstruction—so that Bengalis can live free from fear,” he added.
The Chhayanaut program began at 6:15am at Ramna Batamul and concluded at 8:25am with the national anthem.
