Preparations afoot to celebrate Pahela Baishakh

The Institute of Fine Arts of Dhaka University has begun its preparations for celebrating the Pahela Baishakh, the first day of Bengali New Year -- the biggest festival of Bengalis.
The students of the institute yesterday painted pictures, made masks of owl, fish and other motifs and formed structures of different symbols of Bengali folk culture. They began their artistic works a week ago and are still working days and nights to make the festival a grand success.
To raise funds for the celebration, prominent artists of the country and the institutes' students have put their works on sale at the Zainul Art Gallery. The entire expenses of the celebration will come from the proceeds of the art exposition, the students said at a press conference at institutes' teacher lounge yesterday noon.
“We are going to collect the fund for arranging festival by selling our works. We are not taking any sort of sponsor from any company. The entire cost will be collected from selling our works. So, we urge people to buy the works of the country's prominent artists and our students and help organise the festival,” said Prof Abdus Shakur, director of the institute and convener of the 'Baishakh Udjapon Parishad'.
The institute has been celebrating the festival since 1989. The masked procession of the students of the institute has become a tradition of welcoming Bengali New Year.