Bomangs mark Rajpunnah in Bandarban

Bomang King Aong Swe Prue is showered with flower petals during the festivity of Rajpunnah at the Rajbari in Bandarban town yesterday.Photo: STAR

Thousands of tribal and Bangali people yesterday celebrated Rajpunnah in true fashion of communal harmony amid cultural diversity at the local Rajbari premises in Bandarban town.
Rajpunnah is one of the oldest traditional festivals in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
During this festival Jhum cultivators pay their annual taxes, along with traditional gifts -- two bottles of wine and two large roosters -- as part of their respect to King Aong Swe Prue Choudhury, the 15th king of the Bomang tribe.
Despite it being a time to pay taxes, the occasion is marked by a celebration through a gathering and cultural exchange among people of different tribes, Bangalis and even foreigners.
In the morning, the King took his place and inaugurated the ceremony in the presence of his guards bearing knives and guns as part of tradition. A three-day fair has been organised to mark Rajpunnah.
King Aong Swe Prue said, "It is a matter of pride that the image of the tribe, founded in early 14th century, has not been tarnished despite many ups and downs throughout the rules of the Mughals, British and Pakistan."
The 15th king of the Bomang tribe said that Bomang Kings are traditionally not repressive which has actually kept their authority in place over generations.
He made a donation of Tk 50,000 for the Sidr victims last year.
The UNDP representative present at the ceremony said, "Bangladesh can take pride on the communal harmony and peaceful co-existence of different tribes and religious groups that exist in the region."
Bandarban Army Brigade Commander Brig Gen M Mahfuzur Rahaman, Bandarban Hill District Council Chairman Professor Thanjama Lusai, Deputy Commissioner Abdul Mazid Shah Akand, acting Police Superintendent Sayeed Mahmud Tareq, UNDP Chittagong Hill Tracts Project Director Robert Rajkumar Cha Hla Pru Jimi, Rajkumar U Cha Prue and Headman Mong Thoai Ching Marma were present among others at the ceremony.