A three-day long 37th Jatiyo Rabindra Sangeet Sammelon was inaugurated at Nilphamari High School Ground in the district town on Friday afternoon.
Cultural Affairs Minister Asaduzzaman Noor inaugurated the festival by lighting candle and conveying blessings amid enthusiasm and participation by around ten thousand spectators as central secretary Bulbul Islam of Jatiyo Rabindra Sangeet Parishad delivered welcome speech.
Earlier, 2,400 square feet giant pandal accommodating 5000 spectators was fully crowded couple of hours before the ceremony and same number of people enjoyed it standing around.
Presided over by renowned Tagor singer Dr. Sanjida Khatun who is also President of Jatiyo Rabindra Sangeet Parishad, the meeting was addressed by the Cultural Affairs Minister.
“It’s a festival of conscience, which promotes love and paves way for creating a non communal society,” said Asaduzzaman Noor.
” Rabindranath is our light house as sharpens good thoughts and the nation which have personalities like Rabindranath and Bangababdhu must be the winner,” he affirmed.
On this occasion, first ever in the district, law enforcers took strong measures to ensure safety following recent attack on renowned intellectual Zafar Iqbal by fundamentalists in Sylhet.
Elite force anti terrorist unit of police encircled the stage and check points were set up at different intersections while each of the audience have to face security check up and proceed through metal detector and use particular line in disciplined way during entrance and exit.
Noor said, ” Zafar Iqbal was scheduled to attend here but couldn’t as vested quarter attempt to kill him.
It is anti- liberation force, the other name of militancy that encountered 1971, conducted grenade attack on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and attacked on him (Zafar).
On occasion of the festival, the entire town was nicely decorated with colourful flags and papers as eye catching banners, festoons and posters were hung at different points, local municipality launched special cleanliness programme creating much curiosity among people.
A nice gate was built at the entrance with locally available goods like straw, bamboo and earthen pitchers while a big pandal with white clothes was erected to accommodate thousands audience.
In her speech as ceremony president Dr. Sanjida Khatun urged all to nourish humane quality in us to establish truth, beauty and goodness.
“It needs us devotion and dedication to be real human beings and writings of Rabindra Nath shows the way as enlightens our hearts to defeat evil forces.
It is mentionable that the three days long festival was sponsored by Cultural Affairs Ministry and sponsored by Bengal Group along with NGO Bhabna and Brac Bank.
Besides, teachers, students, business community and others rendered co-operation.
On second day of the programme on Saturday, conference of Rabindra Sangeet Sammelon Parishad will be held at local tourist spot Nil Sagor and a seminar entitled ‘Manobik Samaj Gathon’ likely to held in afternoon attended by former governner of Bangladesh Bank Dr Ataur Rahman.
On concluding day on Sunday, Rabindra padak will be distributed among distinguished persons and declaration of the conference will be read out where vice chancellor of Rabindra Viswabidalaya will attend as Chief Guest.
