bdnews24.com shares Pahela Baishakh joy with top newsmakers

bdnews24.com has celebrated the Bangla New Year 1425 with a host of top headline and difference makers in Bangladesh at a lively gathering.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 14 April 2018, 01:44 PM
Updated : 5 May 2018, 04:55 PM

Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali and Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu were among a host of the most major players that included politicians, diplomats, business leaders, celebrities, and people from different professions.

There were hugs and handshakes exchanged between the big-name guests during the spirited get-together started in the afternoon.

It stirred the politicians to toss any rivalries aside and join other the top opinion makers and shapers in the country and Bangladeshis across the world to celebrate Pahela Baishakh on Saturday.

Mahmood Ali listening to Toufique Imrose Khalidi.

Besides the ministers, Prime Minister’s Energy Affairs Adviser Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, ruling Awami League leader Alauddin Nasim, Mahjabeen Khaled MP, and Fazilatun Nasa Bappy MP were in attendance.

Rivals in politics, Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu and BNP leader Abdul Moyeen Khan, exchange greetings at bdnews24.com's Pahela Baishakh celebrations; BIDA Executive Chairman Kazi M Aminul Islam is the witness to the rare social bonding.

Former DUCSU VP Amanullah Aman and former AGS Nazim Uddin Alam

BNP Standing Committee members Abdul Moyeen Khan and Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Member of Chairperson’s Advisory Council and former DUCSU VP Amanullah Aman, former MP and DUCSU AGS Nazim Uddin Alam, Organising Secretary Shama Obaid, and Assistant Secretary for International Affairs Rumeen Farhana also joined the get-together.

From the Jatiya Party, its Presidium Member Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu attended the event.

Former University Grants Commission chairman AK Azad Chowdhury and former Jahangirnagar University vice-chancellor Prof Anwar Hossain also joined in.

Former DUCSU general secretary Mushtuq Husain and DMP Additional Commissioner Monirul Islam.

Former DUCSU general secretary Mushtuq Husain came along with his spouse Beena Shikder.

Bangladesh Investment Development Authority Executive Chairman Kazi M Aminul Islam, former senior secretary Hedayetullah Al Mamoon, former principal secretary Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury, incumbent Principal Secretary Nojibur Rahman and several other top current and former government officials had sprightly conversations.

Former principal secretary Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury shakes hands with his successor Nojibur Rahman.

Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission Chairman Shahjahan Mahmood, Bangladesh Coast Guard Director General Rear Admiral AMMM Aurangzeb Chowdhury, Additional Inspector General of Police Mokhlesur Rahman, and Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Additional Commissioner Monirul Islam were there as well. 

Social activist Aroma Dutta, granddaughter of Dhirendranath Dutta, who first proposed legislation on Bangla as a state language in the Pakistan Constituent Assembly in 1948, was also present. Martyred intellectual Dr Alim Chaudhury's daughter Nuzhat Choudhury came with her spouse Mamun Al Mahtab.

Sarah Begum Kabori and Nusrat Imrose Tisha, actresses from two different generations.

Bangla film icon and former Awami League MP Sarah Begum Kabori attended the star-studded programme. The others included actor couple Pijush Bandyopadhaya and Jayosree Kar Jaya, filmmaker Mostofa Sarwar Farooki and his actress wife Nusrat Imrose Tisha.

Former president of FBCCI AK Aazad, and that of BGMEA Anwar-Ul Alam Chowdhury Parvez, IDLC Finance Limited CEO and Managing Director Arif Khan, Dutch-Bangla Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Faruque Hassan were also present among the business leaders.

Takeshi Ito, deputy chief of the Embassy of Japan, Bangladesh's largest development partner, is pictured with business leaders AK Azad and Anwar-Ul Alam Chowdhury Parvez.

Ekattor TV Managing Director Mozammel Babu and Ekushey TV’s Director Robiul Hasan also joined the programme.

Expatriate professor Dr SMG Kibria and former Anti-Corruption Commission commissioner Shahabuddin Chuppu also became part of the Baishakhi celebrations.

From left: Kamal Qadir, Mahjabeen Khaled, Toufique Imrose Khalidi, Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury, Hasanul Haq Inu and Shahjahan Mahmood.

The gathering also proved to be a prime meeting spot for Standard Chartered Bank Bangladesh CEO Naser Ezaz Bijoy, Head of Corporate Affairs Bitopi Das Chowdhury, bKash CEO Kamal Quadir, Prime Bank CEO and Managing Director Rahel Ahmed, City Bank Senior Vice President and Head of Corporate Affairs Ananda Zaman and Eastern Bank Limited Additional Managing Director Hassan O Rashid.

Asif Saleh and Tamara Hasan Abed

It was also dotted with big names such as Asif Saleh, Senior Director of Strategy, Communications and Empowerment for BRAC and BRAC International, Tamara Hasan Abed, Senior Director, BRAC Enterprises, and BRAC EPL CEO Deedarul Huq Khan.

Norway Ambassador Sidsel Bleken with her husband Tor Torhaug

Norway Ambassador Sidsel Bleken, draped in a sari, brought along her husband Tor Torhaug who sported a panjabi. Malaysia High Commissioner Nur Ashikin Binti Mohd Taib, Japanese embassy’s deputy chief Takeshi Ito, Russian embassy’s senior diplomat Pavel V Verzilov, US embassy’s Public Affairs Officer Nicholas Papp and many other foreign diplomats joined the event.

Several Dhaka-based foreign diplomats joined bdnews24.com's Pahela Baishakh celebrations.

Also in attendance were BIMSTEC Secretary General M Shahidul Islam, UNDP Country Director Sudipto Mukerjee, UNICEF Representative Edouard Beigbeder and spokesperson AM Sakil Faizullah, and Xinhua News Agency’s Dhaka Bureau Chief Liu Chuntao.

Legendary cricketer Raqibul Hasan, who used a bat with ‘Joy Bangla’ written on it in March, 1971 when Bangladesh was preparing for freedom from Pakistan, joined as well.

Discussing cricket with Raqibul Hasan.

Editor-in-Chief Toufique Imrose Khalidi led senior bdnews24.com journalists and executives in hosting the guests.

Is Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury regaling the Norway ambassador with the nutritional value of local sweets?

An array of gastronomic delights offered great choices in flavour, with a combination of textures on the plate.

It started off with refreshing green mango and tamarind juices, and coconut water to prepare the sophisticated palates.

The select guests had traditional staples of Baishakhi fairs to savour, such as parched rice, Batasa, Tiler Khaja and Nadu along with Singara, Dalpuri and Chatpati.

Main courses to be relished included Spicy Beef Curry, Beef with Pickle Gravy, Mutton Rezala, Chicken Bhuna, Dried Chhuri with Eggplant, Dried Loitta, Dried Fish Bhuna, Indian Carplet Chachchari, Shrimp with Bitter Gourd and several Hilsa items like Hilsa with Mustard Gravy and Hilsa Heads with Taro Shoots.
Guests were also treated to fine delicacies such Mashed Black Cumin, Mashed Eggplant, Mashed Tomato, Mashed Red Potato, Mashed Lentil and Mashed Shrimp. 

Besides White Rice and Red Rice, there were Panta, Khichuri and Dheki Chhanta Rice sampling the rich culinary heritage.

The desserts included Payesh, Rosmalai and Rosgolla. Cold, juicy watermelon was there to hit the sweet spot. To top things off, betel leaf and nuts lifted the spirit.