Cox's Bazar, April 15 (BDNEWS) – Pahela Baishakh, the Bangla New Year, was celebrated with great enthusiasm and gaiety in the coastal district of Cox's Bazar Thursday.
Tens of thousands of people from all walks of life thronged the longest sandy sea beach of the world to welcome the New Year.
An estimated 50 thousand people gathered on the sea beach Thursday. Not only local men and women, youngsters, adolescent boys and girls came to the beach but people from different areas also came there to celebrate the Bangla Year.
The New Year's celebration kicked off as soon as the day breaks at Shaheed Minar premises with selling pantabhat (wet rice) and the singing of Rabindranath Tagore's 'esho he Boishakh esho he esho'. Shammilito Sangskritik Jote organised the programme.
Throughout the day, adolescent boys and girls greeted the New Year splashing colours on each other in every nook and corner of the town.
Adolescent Women, especially the girls, adorned themselves with bangles, henna, flowers in their chignons and yellow saris with red borders moved around the town.
The beach turned into a rendezvous where people met their near and dear ones.
District administration and Cox's Bazar Sangskritik Kendra also arranged separate programmes on the occasion.
A four-day traditional 'balikhela' (wrestling) got underway in Ramu. Deputy Commissioner inaugurated the programme.
BDNEWS/1545 hrs
