Bangladesh brims with hope as it gears up for Bengali New Year 1432

After bidding farewell to the old, nation looks to a future of growth, unity, and shared progress

In the transition from Chaitra's end to the new dawn, millions of Bengalis look forward to the auspicious light of the rising sun, leaving behind the burdens of the past.

The new year stands at the doorstep; following the time-honoured tradition of bidding adieu to the old year, Bangladesh is poised to embrace 1432 in the Bengali calendar with hope for a vibrant and reimagined future.

In the early hours of Pohela Boishakh, the tune of welcoming the year will resonate with the joyous song of liberation, forgetting sorrow, pain, despair, and ugliness; the collective voice will echo – "Esho he Boishakh, esho esho..." (Come O Boishakh, Come, Come...).

After a year marked by significant events, this celebration will carry a new message – a pledge to permanently bid farewell to fascism.

Alongside, the call for an end to genocide in Palestine will resonate in the hearts of Bengalis, with prayers for peace and enduring solidarity for global humanity.

With hearts full of hope, the new year will carry everyone’s wish to walk together, hand in hand.

The first morning of the Bengali New Year will be a paean to spreading the message of harmony worldwide in the quest for the liberation of humanity.

As the sun rises on Monday, Bangladesh will erupt in celebration from the hills to the lowlands.

As always, Chhayanaut will mark the beginning of the new year at Ramna Batamul, searching for “freedom in light”.

Soon after, Dhaka University’s Faculty of Fine Arts will host the “symphony of unity”, where crowds will join hands and set off in Ananda Shobajatra, a colourful procession that celebrates the Bengali New Year.

This year’s Pohela Boishakh comes in the wake of a political shift — the first since the Awami League was toppled by a student-led mass uprising on Aug 5, 2024.

Signs of this change are already woven into the fabric of this year’s celebrations.

The interim government has made attempts to include everyone in the official celebrations.

The Faculty of Fine Arts’ iconic parade, formerly known as “Mongal Shobhajatra”, has been renamed “Ananda Shobhajatra” this year.

It will feature participation from 28 ethnic communities, and several visual elements of the event have also been redesigned.

Still, reminders of the past remain — including motifs of the parades that were destroyed in fires.

Meanwhile, the country has seen a growing wave of protests in recent days against the ongoing massacres and atrocities in Palestine.

These global concerns are expected to leave their mark on the new year celebrations as well.

BENGALI’S TIMELESS NEW YEAR CELEBRATION

On the last day of Chaitra, the tradition of closing the business accounts through “Hal Khata” marks the end of the year for Bengalis.

In harmony with the lyrics of Rabindranath Tagore’s songs, the first day of Boishakh carries the anticipation that the fierce storm of the month of Boishakh will sweep away the old year’s burdens, and the summer’s fiery cleansing will purify the world.

On Sunday, a variety of events marked the farewell of 1431 in the Bengali calendar on the occasion of Chaitra Sankranti.

Different venues, including the Charukala and Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, hosted cultural programmes for the occasion.

While flipping the pages of the calendar from 1431 to 1432 may seem like a routine event, it carries a unique significance in the lives of Bengalis.

The celebration of Boishakh, initially a festival for agriculture or tax collection, has had a profound impact on the economic and social life of Bengal since the introduction of the Bengali calendar.

Over time, Boishakh celebrations took on a political character during the Pakistani rule.

During the military regime of Pakistan’s Ayub Khan, when the aim was to erase Bengali culture, Rabindra Sangeet was banned.

The Pohela Boishakh celebration became a political tool for the preservation of Bengali identity.

This spirit later played a crucial role in Bangladesh’s liberation, eventually leading to the country’s independence.

Even after independence, the celebration of Pohela Boishakh has continued to inspire the country, reflecting its secular ideals.

But, there have been repeated attempts to derail this festival, marking it as an act of resistance against those who sought to steer the country in the opposite direction.

As in the previous years, this year’s Pohela Boishakh celebrations will be surrounded by layers of security.

During the Charukala procession, security personnel will walk alongside the event rather than in front of it, ensuring smooth passage.

In his New Year’s message, Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus emphasised the special place that Pohela Boishakh holds in Bengali tradition.

He said Pohela Boishakh is a day of unity for Bengalis, a day of collective renewal, where people from all religions and backgrounds join together to celebrate the new year with renewed vigour.

Forgetting the sorrows, old age, impurities, and failures of the whole year, on this day Bengalis create a bond of harmony, goodwill, joy, and love.

Yunus called on the people to forget the grief, suffering, and ugliness of the past year and to march forward with renewed hope and energy.

He said, "Let the spirit of the July Revolution guide us towards building a Bangladesh free from discrimination as we welcome the Bengali New Year."

‘AMAR MUKTI ALOY ALOY’

This year, Chhayanaut’s message for the Bengali New Year resonates with the theme ‘Amar Mukti Aloy Aloy’ (My liberation lies in light).

The 58th annual flagship celebration by Chhayanaut will commence, as per tradition, at 6:15am on the first morning of the Bengali year.

As the first light of dawn breaks, the 1432nd Bangabdabaran — the welcoming of the New Year — will begin with the strains of Raga Bhairavi, according to the event’s organisers.

For the first time, Chhayanaut will organise the event without the presence of the legendary cultural icon Sanjida Khatun, who passed away at 3:00pm on Mar 25.

In a written statement, Chhayanaut General Secretary Laisa Ahmed Lisa expressed concern over the global decline in humanity and values, noting that Bangladesh has not remained untouched.

“Yet we do not lose hope, we do not lose direction,” Lisa said.

“We dream of holding hands, of meeting and moving forward together.”

She added, “Bengalis will awaken. The time will return when we all can share beautiful days once more. It will be worthwhile — our mantra remains to love the people, the country, and this world.”

What began in the 1960s by the banks of the Ramna has since become a central feature of Bengali New Year celebrations.

Chhayanaut’s tradition of welcoming the New Year started in 1967 and has continued on the first day of Boishakh each year, save for 1971, during the Liberation War.

In recent history, the event was held virtually for two consecutive years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2001, a tragic bombing carried out by militants during Chhayanaut’s Boishakh celebration claimed ten lives.

Security has remained tight for every celebration since.

Chhayanaut’s origins date back to 1961, when Sanjida, defying the opposition of the Pakistani regime, led efforts to celebrate Rabindranath Tagore’s birth centenary, eventually laying the foundation for the cultural institution.

Sanjida, a towering figure in the Bengali cultural sphere, spent her life pursuing Bengali identity through music.

For the first time in its history, Chhayanaut will usher in the Bengali New Year without the presence of one of its founding members and guiding spirit, Sanjida.

“This is the first time that Chhayanaut is organising the New Year’s Eve celebration when Sanjida Khatun is no more,” said Sarwar Ali, executive president of Chhayanaut.

“May we be able to carry forward her ideas. Being able to organise the event properly and spread the essence of the New Year’s Eve celebration to everyone will be a tribute to Sanjida Khatun.”

The cultural lineup this year features nine ensembles, twelve solo performances, and three readings.

A total of 150 artists will take the stage during the two-hour programme.

In a written statement, Chhayanaut said: “As always, the law-enforcing agencies and the public works department are providing tireless service to keep this event to welcome the new Bengali year smoothly.”

Volunteers, including members of the Thirteenth Hussars Open Rover Group, are working in close coordination with Chhayanaut staff to support logistics and crowd management.

The event will be broadcast live from Ramna Udyan on Chhayanaut’s official YouTube and Facebook pages, with Bangladesh Television (BTV) also airing the programme.

Chhayanaut Joint Secretary Partha Tanveer Naved said, “Our greatest achievement is being able to involve so many people in this celebration.”

BARSHABARAN ANANDA SHOBHAJATRA

The Faculty of Fine Arts procession on Pohela Boishakh began in the 1980s as a call to break the shackles of military rule. It later took the form of the Mongol Shobhajatra.

The programme was also recognised as an event of significant cultural heritage by UNESCO in 2016.

This year, the “Mongol Shobhajatra” has been renamed “Ananda Shobhajatra”. Organisers, however, have described the change not as a renaming but as a “restoration”.

Dhaka University Faculty of Fine Arts Dean Azharul Islam Sheikh said, “Previously, the procession from Charukala on Pahela Baishakh was called ‘Ananda Shobhajatra’.

“It was later renamed Mongal Shobhajatra. We’ve now returned to the name Ananda Shobhajatra. This can be termed a revival.”

The theme of this year's procession is “New Year’s Unity, the End of Fascism”.

A fire in the early hours of Saturday at Dhaka University Faculty of Fine Arts destroyed two key motifs made for the traditional parade -- the symbolic "face of fascism" and the "dove of peace".

Among the six large motifs, the “face of fascism” was planned to lead the parade.

The female-faced effigy featured prominent fangs and two sharp horns atop its head.

Efforts are underway to rebuild it, although it remains uncertain whether it will be ready before the procession begins.

According to the university’s Public Relations Office, the Ananda Shobhajatra will begin at 9:00am on Monday.

The route will follow Shahbagh intersection, TSC crossing, Shaheed Minar, the Physical Education Centre of the university, Doel Chattar, and the road outside the Bangla Academy, before concluding back at the Faculty of Fine Arts.

As per the official announcement, this year’s procession will include participants from 28 indigenous communities, along with representatives of different government and non-government educational institutions, socio-cultural organisations, and foreign guests.

The celebration will showcase a total of 21 motifs—seven each in large, medium, and small sizes.

2 METRO RAIL STATIONS TO REMAIN CLOSED

The Ananda Shobhajatra will begin from the Faculty of Fine Art at 9:00am.

During this time, metro trains will not stop at Shahbagh and TSC stations, although train movement will continue as usual.

This year, members of the security forces will not lead the procession but will instead walk alongside it on either side, maintaining a watchful presence.

While Pohela Boishakh celebrations will continue in other parts of the city into the evening, all events within the Dhaka University campus will conclude by 5:00pm.

Entry into the university area will not be permitted after this time.

NATIONWIDE ARRAENGEMENTS

Beyond the traditional events by Chhayanaut and the Faculty of Fine Art, the Bengali New Year will be celebrated nationwide through a range of festivities including concerts, Sadhu mela, Khonar Mela, Boishakhi mela, and folk theatre performances.

Cultural Affairs Advisor Mostofa Sarwar Farooki said this year’s celebrations are designed to be more inclusive, incorporating different ethnic communities alongside Bengalis.

As in previous years, the music school Shurer Dhara will host Pohela Boishakh celebrations at Rabindra Sarobar stage in Dhanmondi.

Brahmanbaria’s Sahitya Academy, continuing its 39-year tradition, is holding a weeklong Boishakhi festival.

In addition, twelve districts will feature Sadhu mela events arranged by Shilpakala Academy during Chaitra Sankranti.

A concert will also be held at Dhaka’s Suhrawardy Udyan. Artists in the Faculty of Fine Art’s parade will protest the genocide in Palestine through their artwork.

The Bangladesh Folk Art and Crafts Foundation and Bangla Academy will host Boishakhi fairs while 30 districts are set to organise folk theatre festivals.

Farooki believes that a festive atmosphere has been created across the country surrounding Sangrai, Bizhu, Buisu, Bihu, Sanglan, and the Bengali New Year.

CHATTOGRAM DC HILL EVENT CALLED OFF

The Sammilito Pohela Boishakh Udjapon Parishad announced the cancellation of its daylong Bengali New Year celebration at DC Hill in Chattogram after the stage for the event was vandalised.

“We organisers have decided not to go ahead with the programme following the attack,” said Sucharit Das Khokon, the council’s coordinator on Sunday night.

“We won’t organise the programme. The attack and the administration’s lack of cooperation led us to this decision. We’ve informed the additional deputy commissioner (general) of our decision not to hold the event,” he added.

The stage was attacked around 7:15pm on Sunday near the Buddhist temple at DC Hill, while preparations for the event were ongoing.

“Monday morning was scheduled for the beginning of our celebration. We had completed all preparations, including the stage setup. Then, just before evening, 40 to 50 youths stormed the stage and launched an attack,” Sucharita Das Khokon told bdnews24.com.

Chattogram’s Kotwali Police Station chief Md Abdul Karim said, “Our force was already deployed at the venue. In the evening, some miscreants attempted to attack, but we stopped them. The situation is under control now.”

Despite the police claim, photos from the site showed broken chairs, a damaged stage structure, and torn banners and cloth from the pandal.

The Sammilito Pohela Boishakh Udjapon Parishad has been organising New Year and year-end programmes at DC Hill for the past 46 years.

ENHANCED SECURITY

To ensure safety during Pohela Boishakh celebrations, particularly around key venues such as Ramna Batamul and the Faculty of Fine Arts, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has implemented extensive security measures.

The city has been divided into 21 sectors for the occasion, with a substantial number of police personnel deployed in both uniform and plain clothes by the DMP.

In addition, from 5:00am on Monday, vehicular movement will be restricted around Ramna Park, Suhrawardy Udyan, Dhaka University, and adjacent areas.

Diversions and barricades will be in place at 13 designated points surrounding these zones.

[Writing in English by Sheikh Fariha Bristy]