Enthusiasm everywhere
People across the country celebrated Pahela Baishakh, the first day of Bangla New Year, with traditional festivals marking local cultural features on Saturday.
Thousands of people from all walks of life gathered at Handial village in Pabna's Chatmohar upazila to celebrate the first day of Bangla New Year, 1425.
The function, arranged by youth organisation Gen Y Z, was dedicated to the memory of Mughal emperor Akbar, founder of Bangla calendar.
A colourful procession carrying traditional heritage of rural life was brought out from Handial Bazar.
Along with others, people from indigenous community 'Mahato' of Baghalbari village joined the programme.
“Akbar was the founder of Bangla calendar and so, we have dedicated the traditional rural festival Pahela Baishakh to the memory of the late king,” said Humayun Kabir, coordinator of Gen Y Z.
Music, dance, and staging drama highlighting typical rural life were features of the daylong programme.
Meanwhile, several thousand people gathered at Satbaria High School field in Pabna's Sujanagar upazila to see the traditional Charak festival and the accompanying fair.
Charak festival begins on Chaitra 30 of Bangla calendar and ends on celebrating Pahela Baishakh every year but the Satbaria people celebrate it on Pahela Baishakh followed by a fair every year, said Pradip Kumar Sharma, organiser of the festival.
“Although Charak Puja is a religious function of the Hindu community, people belonging to different religious communities together organise the festival, showing communal harmony,” he said.
Marking a special feature of the event, Ajit Kumar Haldar, 50, moved around from the charak tree with a rope tied to two long iron hooks pierced on his back to remove the injustice and evil power from the society denying life risk.
“I am performing this at the yearly function for the last 20 years and no accident happened,” Ajit said.
The bank of the Jamuna river near Aricha Ghat in Shivalaya upazila under Manikganj assumed an amazingly colourful festive look as hundreds of kites of different types and sizes were flying in the sky on Saturday afternoon.
Shatadal Samajik O Sangskritik Sangathan organised the kite festival to celebrate Pahela Baishakh.
Local lawmaker AM Naimur Rahman Durjoy handed over colour television sets as prizes to the winners under 16 categories.
The district administration arranged programmes including colourful rally, discussion, cultural function and fair at Chhayabithi Mancha on the deputy commissioner's office premises. Jahid Maleque Swapan, state minister for health and family welfare, were present as chief guest with deputy commissioner Md Nazmus Sadat Selim in the chair.
A daylong Charak Puja and fair was arranged at Majapara village of Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila on Saturday.
During the Charak Puja one of the devotees danced wearing the mask of 'Goddess Kali' and played Barsha game while some others tied their backs with sharp hooks and then they moved around a bar with a long rope.
Twenty-two girl students of AF Mojibur Rahman High School of Faridpur Sadar upazila got bicycles as Bangla New Year gift.
AF Mojibur Rahman Foundation made the donation for the poor and meritorious students.
Our correspondents from Pabna, Manikganj, Lalmonirhat and Faridpur contributed to the report.
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