Pahela Baishakh 1422

Photo: Moin Ahamed, Design: Sakik Harun Baizid
Photo: Moin Ahamed, Design: Sakik Harun Baizid
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Sheikh Arif Bulbon :
The nation celebrated Pahela Baishakh, first day of the Bangla calendar, on April 14 amid fanfare and festivity.
True to the centuries-old tradition, people from all walks of life crowded different popular and historic spots at dawn in the capital and elsewhere across the country to hail the Bangla New Year 1422 with new hopes and aspirations for a better, peaceful year.
The government anticipates a celebration without any fear of terrorist activities.
A similar mood of jubilation is also present in the West Bengal and other Bangla-speaking parts of India as they also celebrate Pahela Baishakh, but a day later. They celebrated the Bangla New Year on April 15.
Mughal Emperor Akbar introduced the Bangla calendar in 1556 of the Gregorian calendar in a bid to streamline the timing of land tax collection in the then Subah Bangla region, the greater part of which falls under Bangladesh.
President Abdul Hamid, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia issued separate messages greeting the country’s people as well as all Bangla-speaking people across the globe on the occasion.
State-owned Bangladesh Television (BTV) and Bangladesh Betar and also private satellite channels and radio stations aired special programmes on the day.
Different socio-cultural organisations, educational institutions, political parties celebrated the day under the arrangement of various colourful programmes. n
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