ZCZC
BSS-51
PAHELA-BAISHAKH
Pahela Baishakh tomorrow
DHAKA, April 13, 2020 (BSS) – The Bangalees will celebrate Pahela
Baishakh, the first day of Bangla New Year and one of the biggest universal
festivals of the nation, tomorrow on virtual media and using digital method
staying at their respective homes as the government has urged all citizens to
do so in the wake of the deadly coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak.
Pahela Baishakh is one of the most colourful festivals through which the
Bangalis bid farewell to the old year and welcome the New Year, but this year
all programmes have been cancelled due to Covid-19 outbreak that has already
claimed 39 lives in Bangladesh and nearly 1,15,000 across the globe.
The government gave directives to all to celebrate the festival in
digital method to avoid public gatherings.
As per the government directives, state-run Bangladesh Television (Btv)
will broadcast a special programme having contents of Chhayanat’s previous
year’s celebration welcoming the advent of Bangla New Year at Ramna Batamul
at dawn, Btv sources said.
Besides, recorded traditional songs and dance performances of leading
artistes will also be aired.
Chhayanat President Sanjida Khatun’s recorded message will be aired.
A 58-minute programme of the Cultural Affairs Ministry will also be
aired from 8.30 am on Bangladesh Television while all private channels will
also relay it.
On this special occasion, people from all walks of life generally wear
traditional Bengali dresses. Young women wear white sarees with red borders
and adorn themselves with bangles, flowers, and tips, while men wear white
pyjamas and panjabi or kurta.
But this time, the citizens will celebrate the festival at their
respective homes.
Traditional Mongol Shovajatra will not be brought out this year from
Fine Arts Faculty on the Dhaka University which becomes the main symbolic
programme of the celebration as the authorities have cancelled it.
Business communities, especially in the rural areas, generally open their
traditional ‘Halkhata’, new account books on that day while traders also
offer sweets to customers.
President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate
messages greeting the countrymen on the occasion of Pahela Baishakh.
They urged all to celebrate the Bangla New Year in digital method staying
at homes to avoid public gatherings.
They wished peace, happiness and prosperity of the people and the
country in the New Year.
Different government and non-government organisations, socio-cultural
platforms, including Bangladesh Shilpokala Academy, Bangladesh Shishu
Academy, Bangla Academy, Department of Public Libraries, the National Museum,
Kabi Nazrul Institute, Copyright Office, National Book Centre, Bangladesh
Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC), Dhaka University, Jatiya
Press Club and Dhaka Reporters Unity, generally chalk out various programmes
to observe the Pahela Baishakh but this time no programme will be arranged.
The programmes of the day generally begin in the city with the musical
soiree of Chhayanat, a leading cultural organisation of the country, at Ramna
Batamul at dawn.
The city people start the day with the traditional breakfast of ‘panta
bhat’ (soaked rice), green chilli, onion and fried fish at Ramna Park,
Suhrawardy Uddyan, Dhaka University Campus, Rabindra Sarobor at Dhanmondi and
other amusement places.
Important buildings and establishments as well as city streets and
islands are generally illuminated with colourful lights and graffiti painted
on the walls signifying the arts, culture and heritage of the country.
Improved food items will be distributed among jail inmates, patients in
hospitals and orphanages on the occasion.
The day is a public holiday.
Different national dailies will publish colourful supplements
highlighting the significance of Pahela Baishakh.
Some historians attribute the Bengali calendar to the 7th century king
Shashanka, which was later modified by Mughal emperor Akbar for the purpose
of tax collection.
During the Mughal rule, land taxes were collected from Bengali people
according to the Islamic Hijri calendar. This calendar was a lunar calendar,
and its new year did not coincide with the solar agricultural cycles.
Akbar asked the royal astronomer Fathullah Shirazi to create a new
calendar by combining the lunar Islamic calendar and solar Hindu calendar
already in use, and this was known as Fasholi shan (harvest calendar).
BSS/ASG/MKD/KU/2210 HRS