Rideeta Hossain, a university student who lives in Dhaka’s Badda, went to Ramna Batamul with her friend to join the Pohela Boishakh festivities welcoming the Bangla New Year 1429 on Thursday morning.
Wearing traditional attires and holding a bunch of red roses, they were beaming as they sat in the front row before the main stage inside the Ramna Park.
“I cannot express how happy I am to see our tradition making a comeback. This is the occasion that brings all Bangalis under one umbrella,” said Rideeta.
Through all the festivities, the first day of Bangla month Boishakh was accorded a warm welcome by Bangalis of all ages, classes, genders and religions across the country.
Its celebration has always faced various adversities including security issues, being dubbed anti-Islamic by some and the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mahmud Hossain Opu/Dhaka TribuneBut even after a long interval, the people on Thursday with their hearty celebrations proved that Pohela Boishakh has deep roots in Bangali heritage.
The celebrations started with a performance of Chhayanaut Sangeet Bidyayatan artists at 6am at Ramna Batamul, starting off with the Rabindra Sangeet "Mann, Jago Mangalalokey".
They continued to perform for two straight hours, marking the festivities welcoming the new year, during which the audience grooved to the melodies of soothing Bengali tunes.
Chhayanaut President Sanjida Khatun said she was happy and relieved that the long-standing tradition had finally made its reappearance.
“The last two years have been very painful for us. I hope we can continue this. Our unity will only become stronger with the spirit of the new year,” she said.
Also read - Bangla New Year celebrations return with traditional fervour
Mongol Shobhajatra, the traditional procession with colourful floats, masks and props showcasing the country’s folklore and the theme of festivities, was brought out at 9am from the TSC of Dhaka University.
The parade hopes to dispel the ominousness of the previous year and welcome the bright prospects of the new year. A three-layer security cordon was put in place at the time to ensure a peaceful procession.
This year's Mongol Shobhajatra featured four floats: traditional Bengali dolls, fish, bird and horse.
Mahmud Hossain Opu/Dhaka TribuneState Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid, DU Vice-Chancellor Prof Akhtaruzzaman, Faculty of Fine Arts Dean of Prof Nisar Hossain, other teachers and students of the university, and people from all walks of life took part in the procession.
They sang and danced to the beats of drums, embracing the beginning of 1429 with open arms.
At the end of the procession, DU VC Prof Akhtaruzzaman said: “I hope people will become more aware of bonding, crossing communal barriers. May the bond of harmony between people be strong.”
Security was also beefed up in Shahbagh and Ramna areas, with the Dhaka Metropolitan Police diverting traffic into other streets away from these areas to avoid gridlock.
