Gearing up for Pahela Baishakh

Preparations are on in Jhenidah (top) and Mymensingh to usher in the Bengali New Year.

With Pahela Baishakh only a few days away, the children of villages and city are busy making masks and festoons. They will take part in the rally wearing masks and carrying festoons on the first day of the Bangla year.
A Baishakhi fair will be held at the old DC Court complex.
Romana, who is making masks, told this correspondent that it is matter of great pleasure for them as it is a tradition that has been passed down from generation to generation.
Rashid said, "We celebrate Pahela Baishakh every year with much gusto as it brings everyone together. On this day we can exchange views and meet at the Baishakhi rally.”

Aminul Islam, Mymensingh
The students of the newly established Fine Arts Department of Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University (JKKNIU) in Trishal have their hands full in the run up to the New Year's celebration rally. They are working relentlessly to make replicas of elephants, horses, tigers, owls, etc and paintings on clay pots. They are also working on wall and floor paintings of the university and decorating the roads of the campus with traditional images. Goutam Kumar Devnath, a student of the Fine Arts Department said that the young people are planning to celebrate a colourful programme outside Dhaka. “We can fine tune our creativity through such programmes,” said Sharmin Akhtar, another student.
Meanwhile, Moushami Akhtar, Mohammad Razan and Didarul Hasan told The Daily Star that as the university is a culture-based one, they want to work for the revival of various arts, now on the verge of extinction.
The procession will parade the campus and adjacent areas.
“Students admitted this year in the Fine Arts Department have taken initiatives to make the day a memorable one,” said Dulal Chandra Gain, assistant professor of the Department.
Safin Omar, Tapon Kumar Sarker and Emdadur Rashed, teachers from the Department, are also guiding the students for the preparations for the big day. Vice-chancellor of the university, Professor Giasuddin Ahmed will inaugurate the programme.
The day's programmes include a colourful rally in the morning, a feast of panta-ilish, kite flying, cultural shows, debate, poetry recitation, dance sequences and more.