Millions rang in Pahela Baishakh, the Bengali New Year 1416, on Tuesday in the capital Dhaka and across the country with colour and verve despite a heatwave.

Men in traditional punjabi and pyjama, women in white and red sari and children dressed in all hues thronged Ramna Batamul and the traditional Baishakhi Mela from dawn in celebration of the biggest Bengali carnival.

Crowds streamed through the city streets under scorching sun, making for the leafy shade of Ramna Batamul.

The traditional New Year platter of panta ilish , fried hilsa fish, lightly fermented rice, lentil and smoked chilli was all the rage.

But the crowds were soon awash in a sweltering sea, as there was no let-up of the heatwave that had intensified in the days preceding Pahela Baishakh.

Colour and culture

Cultural organisation Chhayanaut, which has been organising the day's centerpiece event since 1965, ushered in the first day of the Bangla year with songs and other performances in the cool early hours of the morning.

Finance minister AMA Muhith, Chhayanaut's Sanjida Khatun, artist-organiser Sarwar Ali, Khairul Anam Shakil were present at the day's curtain-raising function.

Marchers in masks and traditional dress, mostly students of the Institute of Fine Arts, led Mongol Shobhajatra, a colourful parade seeking well-being of all, through Dhaka University campus at 8am.

Several thousand people participated in the parade, ushering in good spirits for the New Year and vowing to defeat all ill-will.

At the forefront of the parade were processionists carrying giant papier-mâché figures of the owl, tortoise, crocodile, tiger and elephant as well as Lakkhir Sara or vessels of good fortune.

The procession marched through Dhaka University campus and Ramna, with thousands of men, women and children of all ages and professions wearing colourful masks and playing flutes and other instruments.

Participants wore painted masks or carried symbolic figures to protest fundamentalism, communalism and corruption.

Children blowing into dearly-held flutes and pipes, gnawing into bonbons were inspiring their elders to share their unmixed, pure joys.

Passengers on vehicles ranging from motorbikes to buses found themselves stuck in tailbacks to allow the passage of pedestrians along the crowded streets.

The Baishakhi celebration spread from Bangla Motor to the Institute of Fine Arts via Shahbagh, Dhaka University's TSC to Kakrail and Topkhana Road.

Traditional baul or folk songs and other music floated through the air at the Rabindra Sarobar amphitheatre by Dhanmondi lake, organised by Sammilito Sangskritik Jote.

Shishu Academy, Shilpakala Academy, Bangla Academy, Shaheed Minar, Liberation War Museum, Press Club held day-long functions. Many organisations staged programmes at Suhrawardy Udyan, near Ramna.

Those who did not feel up to fighting through the crowds enjoyed the scenes of festivity from the roofs of their houses— from Mirpur, Basabo and Old Dhaka to Uttara, Gulshan and Jatrabari.

Virtually every nook and cranny of the city sported the same merry mood and freely-flowing mirth and festivities.

Amongst the Bangladeshis were mingled people from abroad, wearing mini skirts or donning a 'gamchha' wrapped around the head sharing popular mood.

As the day wore on, more and more people streamed out from their homes and the avenues, roads, sideways and alleys in some areas became crammed.

The day was a public holiday, with thousands of social, political and cultural organisations holding celebrations.

Foolproof security

The government scaled up security in capital Dhaka and elsewhere in the country to prevent any disturbance of the New Year festivities. More than 8,000 RAB and police personnel were posted in Dhaka City alone in addition to the usual strength.

Ramna, Dhanmondi, Rabindra Sarobar and other venues in the capital had 17 check-posts and sufficient number of security archways installed on top of 37 police pickets deployed.

Eight mobile police patrols were engaged to ensure security of the Mongol Shobhajatra.

As many as 5,256 police men and 3,000 RAB personnel were deployed to oversee the security of the capital. A further 3,000 RAB personnel were posted in the districts on the day.

Ramna grounds entrance and exits had 32 CCTV cameras installed and RAB bomb squad, dog squad and reserved forces patrolled the surroundings.

Bomb-disposal experts and dog squads scan the main festival premises and adjoining areas, with back-up forces on hand to face any situation round the clock.

Roots back to Mughal era

The start of Bengali year with Baishakh has its roots in the days of great Mughal emperor Akbar during 1556-1609. According to one opinion, this was the time when peasants used to pay their taxes to the emperor.

When Bengal came under Mughal rule in 1576, Akbar decided to adopt the Hijri year and termed this season "Fasali" (crop). Thus, Pahela Baishakh marked the start of the crop season.

The present form of the Pahela Baishakh celebrations has some political significance and was introduced in 1965 when Chhayanaut organised its celebration programmes in protest against the suppression of Bengalee culture by then the Pakistan government.

After independence in 1971, the festival became a symbol of the country's nationalist movement as well as an integral part of the people's cultural heritage.

As the tradition goes, people are supposed to pay off all loans and old dues are to be settled. On the day, businessmen purchase new accounts books and prepare new accounts called Haalkhata.

Link by bdnews24