Bangladesh renews pandemic battle with stricter lockdown on Pahela Baishakh

People in Bangladesh ring in Bangla New Year 1428 on Wednesday mostly at home with authorities scrapping all Pahela Baishakh events in trying to limit the spread of coronavirus infections.

The day will also be the first of a weeklong lockdown with blanket ban on public movement to fight the new record-breaking wave of infections.

Chhayanaut will hold the flagship curtain raiser welcoming the Bangla New Year online instead of at the traditional venue Ramna Batamool.

The organisers have also cancelled the traditional Mangal Shobhajatra parade on the Dhaka University campus. The university said masks, festoons and other pieces of art made for the procession will be shown in the electronic media.

Residents of Dhaka said they will celebrate the occasion at home.

As the Muslim holy month of fasting, Ramadan, is also set to begin on Wednesday, people said the meals will get a new dimension with Bengali tradition on Pahela Baishakh.

Chinmoy Majumder, digital media planner at Abul Khair Group, was eyeing a grand Pahela Baishakh celebration this time as it would be the first for his daughter, but the resurgence of the virus disrupted his plans.

“We’ve bought new dress, band and shoes for my daughter. It’s her first Baishakh. We want to begin the day with purity as it is the first of the Bangla year,” he said.

Afsana Islam of Bashundhara said the family have not bought new dresses for their children, but they will wear traditional red and white dresses they had bought for Baishakh in the past.

“We will watch the Baishakhi programmes on TV wearing the dresses. I’ve also brought molasses, Muri, Chira, Batasa and Naru (traditional snacks). I will make some Pithas (traditional cake), Bhortas (smashed food), rice, Hilsha and other fish,” she said.

Families take COVID-19 patients to Mugda General Hospital in Dhaka on Saturday, Apr 10, 2021 amid a record surge in coronavirus cases. Photo: Mahmud Zaman Ovi

Afsana is also planning to tell her children stories of Baishakh from her childhood.

Farida Parvin, a senior citizen of Pallabi, is not going to celebrate the occasion.

“We're getting bad news everyday. The situation is not suitable to celebrate Naba Barsha (Bangla New Year),” she said.  

“And it will be the first day of Ramadan. So, there will no meals in daytime. But Bhorta, Bhaji and fish will be there for dinner,” Farida said.  

Mokhlesur Rahman sells Fuchka, now a popular street food, in Mirpur. He said worries over earning enough to feed his family in the lockdown has overshadowed his plans of celebrations.

Moreover, the lockdown has dashed his hopes of doing a brisk business on Pahela Baishakh.

The first sunrise of Baishakh is greeted with a chorus of songs and poetry recitations at Chhayanaut's Pahela Baishakh celebrations in Ramna Batamul on Apr 14, 2019 . Photo: Asif Mahmud Ove

“I had bought my children dresses and toys as the sales were good in the past during Baishakh. Now I'm worried about how we will survive during the lockdown. Celebrations are not in my thoughts now,” he said.

On Tuesday, a huge number of people left Dhaka and other cities to spend time with their families back home during the lockdown.

They had to take many short trips on trucks, pick-up vans and other vehicles as long distance buses were already off the road.  

The exodus created long tailbacks on the highways.

Hasanul Manjur, who started for Laxmipur from Dhaka in the afternoon, said he was travelling to Cumilla first. From there, he take a ride to Feni and then another to his home.

“I haven't yet reached Cumilla after five hours due to traffic congestion,” he said. Usually, it takes sometime over two hours to reach Cumilla.

President Md Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina greeted all on Pahela Baishakh, urging them to celebrate the occasion at home.

People leaving Dhaka by rickshaw vans on Tuesday, Apr 13, 2021 ahead of a coronavirus lockdown. Photo: Asif Mahmud Ove

The appeal of Bangla New Year is “eternal and universal” in the life of the Bengalis, the president said in a message.

“Now it is our biggest responsibility to save the country and its people from the clutch of coronavirus. So, it is a must to follow health guidelines and ensure social distancing in a proper manner,” he said.

Hasina assured people of government support amid the pandemic and urged them to follow the lockdown rules in a televised address to the nation.

She urged citizens to follow the 18-point health instructions issued by the government and said it will be possible to keep the outbreak under control if they obey the instructions.

[Reporting by Obaidur Masum, Sajidul Haque, Kazi Nafia Rahman and Sabikunnahar Lipi]