Cultural Affairs Adviser Rasheda K Chowdhury inaugurates the Kite Festival-2008 on the Dhaka University playground yesterday. Dhakabasi, a socio-cultural organisation, and the Committee to Observe 400 Years of Dhaka City organised the event. Photo: STAR

The skyline over Dhaka University (DU) campus yesterday changed its colour with the glitter of colourful kites.

Hundreds of kites of various colours, sizes and shapes were flying in the sky over university playground in the afternoon.

These kites had also interesting names like Prajapati, Pankhiraj, Chumki, Churidar, Lalpahar and Kalapahar.

Amid great fanfare and enthusiasm, the kite players took part in the 'Maggi Kite Festival-2008' organised jointly by Dhakabasi, a socio-cultural organisation of Old Dhaka, and Dhaka Mohanagarir Charshata Bachhar Udjapan Committee (Committee to observe 400 years of Dhaka City). Nestlé Bangladesh Limited sponsored the event.

To mark the occasion, a kite flying competition was also held.

Bangladesh Ghuri (Kite) Federation of Hazaribagh and Kayethtuli Ghuri Club took part in the competition.

Kites of different colours, sizes and shapes like fish, bird, snake and national flag were flying in the sky enthralling the spectators.

They also enjoyed different cultural programmes including songs of Old Dhaka's famous Kalachand Band Party, bugle playing of Abdul Kader and riding in horse-driven carts.

Earlier, Cultural Affairs Adviser Rasheda K Chowdhury inaugurated the festival which was attended by Dhakabasi President Shukur Saleq, Canadian High Commission to Bangladesh Barbara Richardson, Malaysian High Commissioner Abdul Maleque Bin Abdul Aziz, DU Pro-Vice-Chancellor Prof AFM Yusuf Haider, Nestlé Bangladesh Ltd Senior Manager (Trade Marketing) Khan Saleh Mahmud and Dhakabasi life-member Nadim Ahmed.

Speaking as chief guest, Rasheda said, "We have our thousand-year-old culture and heritage which is disappearing day by day. However, some private organisations are still trying to preserve those age-old traditions."

Kite flying is a game of youths and the young generation should be given the opportunity to play the game frequently, she said, adding, "We have to arrange these kinds of traditional games to uphold our culture and heritage."

The adviser urged the private sectors to come forward to promote national culture and heritage and hoped that these kinds of festivals will be celebrated at national level.

Prof Yusuf Haider said Bangladesh is a country of festivals, and 400-year-old Dhaka city is famous for its rich culture and heritage.

The traditional Nawab families of Dhaka was the patron of kite flying which is one of the traditional games56 of our country, he said urging all to work together to uphold the old heritage of Dhaka.

An art competition for school students was also held on this occasion.