Bangladesh hails Bengali New Year

Pahela Baishakh, the first day of the Bengali New Year 1409, was celebrated throughout Bangladesh yesterday amid traditional fervour, festivity and fanfare.

Millions of Bangladeshis welcomed the day upholding the rich cultural heritage of the nation through music, drama, song and poetry recitals.

Food recipes in almost every Bengali household centred round traditional dishes such as panta bhat, hilsa curry, daal and various other Bangla dishes.

Traditional fairs and cultural functions were held in the capital and elsewhere in the country. The day is a public holiday.

As dawn broke, the thumping of drums to music heralded the new year at Dhaka's Ramna Park, which was under unprecedented security a year after a bomb exploded there killing 10 people.

The chief accused in the blast was allegedly the principal of a religious school who called celebrations for the new year "un-Islamic". All 12 suspects in the blast are out on bail. Police will submit final reports on the incident after a judicial body set up by the government ended its work.

Despite the fear in the air, thousands of Bangladeshis thronged the park and other areas for mass celebrations around this teeming city of 10 million.

Chhayanaut, a leading music academy that has been organising cultural functions at the Ramna Batamul since 1967, held its usual programmes this year at the same venue. However, unlike previous years, the state-run Bangladesh Television this year did not air its programme. A private TV channel covered the programme.

People of all ages thronged the traditional fairs called Baishakhi mela and participated in cultural functions to welcome the new year.