C T Online Desk: The New Year 2023 was welcomed as the clock struck 12:01 on Saturday night amid restrictions on outdoor celebrations in Dhaka and other parts of the country.
People bade farewell to the year 2022 with fresh hopes and apprehensions in the year that has just set in as the country has been returning to normal life after the protracted Covid pandemic that emerged in Bangladesh in March 2020.
The county has been celebrating the New Year without any Covid restrictions this time after two years.
The Dhaka Metropolitan Police slapped restrictions on outdoor programmes and enforced security measures to avoid any untoward incidents.
The president and the prime minister, in separate messages on Saturday, greeted the nation on the eve of the New Year.
In his message, the president wished happiness and welfare for all in 2023, reported Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha.
Though the celebration of the Bengali New Year has been, the president said, merged into the national culture, the English New Year, too, influences all because of the widespread use of the English calendar in daily activities.
In 2022, the Russia-Ukraine war cast a pall of gloom on the global economic activities, affecting the lives of the people, said the president.
PM Sheikh Hasina, in her message, wished that the New Year would bring happiness, peace and prosperity for the countrymen.
The premier said that the year 2022 was an important milestone in the life of the countrymen.
The country witnessed massive development in infrastructure, she said, adding that the mega Padma Bridge was opened to vehicular movement on June 26, 2022.
The metro rail was inaugurated for commuters from Uttara to Agargaon, she further said, adding that the government opened 100 highways in 50 districts and inaugurated the construction work of 100 bridges in 25 districts.
The DMP imposed restrictions on celebratory events in open spaces, fireworks, sky lanterns and entry to specific areas on the thirty-first night.
The ban on sky lanterns was imposed as fire had broken out at several places in Dhaka and other parts of the country from such lanterns during the 2022 New Year celebrations.
Briefing the media, DMP commissioner Khandaker Golam Faruq said that they would not allow any meeting, rally and musical event in the open space for the celebration of the New Year for the sake of people’s security.
‘No outdoor celebrations would be allowed on the thirty-first night like previous years,’ he added.
‘All the programmes must be held indoors. No DJ party will be allowed,’ the police officer further said while addressing a press conference held at the DMP Media Centre on Saturday morning.
Although there is no threat over the New Year celebrations, the members of the Counter-Terrorism Unit and detectives will remain on high alert all over Dhaka to avoid any untoward incident, he said.
The DMP took special security measures in specific areas, including Dhaka University, Hatirjheel, Banani, Gulshan and Baridhara, on the eve of the New Year.
The DMP commissioner said that outsiders and vehicles will not be allowed to enter the Dhaka University campus after 6:00pm on Saturday.
Vehicles of teachers, officers and employees living in the residential areas of the university will, however, be able to get in the university area through the Shahbagh Crossing on showing their identifications after 6:00pm.
The Nilkhet crossing can be used by them for entry by walking only.
The commissioner said that the same guidelines would apply to Hatirjheel, Banani, Gulshan and Baridhara areas. No one will be able to stay outside in those areas after 8:00pm.
There will be traffic restriction measures and diversions in connection with entry to Banani, Gulshan and Baridhara areas from 8:00pm on Saturday to 5:00am on Sunday.
Besides, no bars were allowed to remain open after 6:00pm on Saturday and police were to conduct breathing tests on the streets to ensure that none was driving in a drunken condition, said Faruq.
City dwellers greeted the New Year by lighting firecrackers and scaled-down parties.
The New Year by the Gregorian calendar ushered in new hopes for recovery of losses the nation has suffered in the social, political, economic and cultural arenas in the past three years.
