C T Online Desk: After a long two years, the people of Chittagong are once again in the throes of Bengali New Year. Various arrangements are being made to welcome the new year in different places of the city including DC Hill, CRB’s Shirishtala, Shilpakala Academy and Chittagong University.
On Thursday (April 14) morning, the activists of the socio-cultural organization welcomed the Bengali New Year with the song ‘Eso He Boishakh, Eso Eso’.
However, as it is the month of Ramadan, the fair has not been held this time. Special security measures have been taken. Various areas have been brought under CCTV. Police, RAB as well as security personnel are engaged in white uniform. Traffic is being controlled. All the arrangements for the New Year festival have also been made brief. The ceremony must end by noon.
This time the theme of the 45th Baishakh Baran has been decided – ‘First Baishakh of Bengalis, may victory be with all’.
The first Baishakh Baran has been going on since morning at DC Hill in the city. The whole area is full of dancing and singing. After many days, everyone came running to breathe. The tradition of Bengali women is sari, men have come to the venue in Punjabi. Children are drawing ‘Happy New Year’ with paintbrushes on their face or hands. For the last 42 years, the oldest event of Pahela Boishakh has been held in DC Hill area of the city. Various organizations including Sangeet Bhavan, Udichi Shilpi Gosthi, Bodhan Avrtti Parishad, Odyssey Dance Movement have performed dance-songs and recitations at the festival. The visitors were fascinated and enjoyed these performances.
Various cultural programs are being organized at the top floor of CRB from 8 am to 1 pm. People of different ages are also coming there. But this time there is no ball game. Violinists from Chittagong collectively painted the New Year’s Eve in the silence of the violin. The Bengali New Year invocation begins with the melody of the song ‘Eso He Boishakh’. After that, various organizations including Sangeet Bhavan, Surangan Vidyapeeth, Proma Recitation Organization, Bodhan Recitation Council, Aditi Sangeet Niketan, Srujami, Rageshri took part in the cultural performance.
The Mars procession will leave the CU Fine Arts Institute at 10 am. Due to the month of Ramadan, the procession will go to Qazi Deuri. This year’s event at the Faculty of Fine Arts has been dedicated to the painter Rashid Chowdhury. In that context, the artist Rashid Chowdhury’s slogan ‘art is needed; For the sake of conscience, for the sake of life.
Ahmed Iqbal Haider, convener of the first joint Baishakh celebration council of Chittagong, said the New Year celebrations were closed for the last two years. However, this time the festival is going on for a short period due to Ramadan.
