Sheikh Iraj

Pohela Boishakh, the first day of the Bengali calendar, is indeed a significant occasion for each and every Bengali. People of all ages and walks of life celebrate the day with great festivity and enthusiasm. No matter whether you are old or young, rich or poor, celebrating the Bengali New Year is a wonderful way of payinghomage to our heritage and culture.
This year, celebrating Pohela Boishakh is going to be a little different in view of UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) last year recognising Mangal Shobhajatra, the annual Bangla Noboborsho (New Year) parade, as an ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity’.
At a recently held inter-ministerial meeting, the Ministry of Cultural Affairs prepared a resolution to celebrate PohelaBoishakh in a grand yet respectful way throughout the country to showcase our cultural heritage.
Mohammad Faizur Rahman Faruqui, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Cultural Affairs, told Y&I: “Mangal Shobhajatra has been recognised by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This is a great honour for us. We want people to know about the importance of Pohela Boishakh. That is why we have asked the Education Ministry to inform all educational institutions about this. Upazila nirbahi officers (local administrators) and other government officials in the divisions, district towns and upazilas have been informed to celebrate the day with great importance and organise Mangal Shobhajatra.”
To know further about the government directive, Faruqui advised interested persons to visit www.moca.gov.bd, the official website of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs.
In previous years, some public universities celebrated the first day of the Bengali calendar, which falls on April 14, by bringing out Mangal Shobhajatra, a grand parade with colourful floats, usually based on a theme, accompanied by traditional dances and music welcoming the New Year. But nowadays, many private universities also arrange their own Mangal Shobhajatra.
Though the trend of celebrating Pohela Boishakh at private universities is relatively new,the University of Development Alternative has been doing so for the past 14 years. Muhammad Noman, a student of the university, told this reporter: “Since we don’t have a permanent campus in Dhanmondi, we celebrate Pohela Boishakh at nearby Dhanmondi Lake. Of course, we have to take permission from the lake authorities and from the local police beforehand. We organise cultural shows and we bring out a Mangal Shobhajatra at 8 am from Dhanmondi Road 27. This year, we are planning to do the same. On our campus, we will organise a Boishakhi fair, where students from our Faculty of Fine Arts will display various kinds of structures and household items made of clay.”
Mohammad Ratul, a student of Daffodil International University, said: “Compared to other private universities, we celebrate Pohela Boishakh in a bigger manner. We draw colourful street paintings on the roads from Dhanmondi 27 to 32. This year, to complete this massive task about 500 students are taking part. We start painting the designs on the night before Pohela Boishakh and we take permission from the police. We work throughout the night and many people from the neighbourhood come to watch. We also organise Mangal Shobhajatra in the early morning of April 14, where students from all departments, and even other universities, take part. In the procession, we wear masks, some carry banners or decorative pieces made of clay.”
“We also organise a Boishakhi Mela on our campus. At the fair, many students set up stalls. Some provide food services, others sell handicraft items. This year, we will start our preparation after April 8,” Ratul added.
Rakhil Khandokar, a student of Stamford University Bangladesh, said: “At our Dhanmondi campus, we have been organizing Mangal Shobhajatra for the past four years. At our Siddheswari campus, Boishakhi Mela is organised in a bigger way. Students take part in different cultural events, like singing, poetry recitation, drawing and acting. This year, we are planning to introduce a new segment, ‘dress as you like’. Our teachers help us immensely with the planning and arrangement of the programmes. On Pohela Boishakh, teachers and students wear traditional Bengali attires. The food at our fair is something students and other visitors find really interesting. We offer different types of mouth-watering Bengali delicacies at very affordable prices and this year, it is not going to be different.”
But not all the educational institutions can celebrate Pohela Boishakh on the exact date as the day is a national holiday.
United International University, which will hold its convocation on April 15, is planning to celebrate Pohela Boishakh a week later, on April 21. Mohammad Hamid, who graduated from the university, said: “The main reason we organise different cultural programmes and celebrate Pohela Boishakh on a grand scale is so that the younger students can learn different things about our culture. Many of us who have completed our graduation still keep contact with the junior students and the university authorities. For example, every year we help to organise different events. Besides regular food stalls and cultural programmes, at the Boishakh fair we arrange traditionalmonkey and snake shows. We also put up a nagordola (big wheel) for our students in our permanent campus. We are not bringing out any Mangal Shobhajatra this year.”  
Due to a fixed academic calendar, BRAC University organised its Boishakhi Mela 1424 on April 3 at its Mohakhali campus. The stalls at the fair displayed dresses, jewellery, accessories, games, food items, etc, made and presented by the students and their friends and relatives. A puppet show, a bioscope, fortune-telling by a parrot and a henna tattoo corner were also arranged to entertain visitors. Sushmita Ahmed, a student of American International University Bangladesh, who participated in the fair, said: “My aunt is a student of BRAC University and together, we had a stall at the fair. We sold different kinds of jewellery and dresses. We received good response at the fair and I hope more universities would organise such fairs.”
University students are more matured and able to take on the responsibilities of arranging Boisakhi fairs or parades. However, in schools, teachers and parents play a big part in helping the students organise everything. Khaleda Islam, a teacher at Bangladesh International School and College, said: “Students are always eager to participate in different types of programmes during any big event and Pohela Boishakh is no exception. This year, all educational institutions have been asked to celebrate the day with due importance. Yet, I am not sure whether we will be able to organise a New Year procession this year. Every year, we arrange different traditional sports and cultural programmes for students and this time, we are going to do the same.”   
Asad Rahman, a teacher at BAF Shaheen College Dhaka, said: “We organise different types of cultural programmes for students on Pohela Boishakh. This year, we are preparing to organise poetry recitation, ‘dress as you like’, acting, singing and dance performances. Besides the cultural programme, we also arrange some hearty Bengali dishes for our students.”  
It is true that this year the educational institutionsare taking extra care to celebrate Pohela Boishakh in a bigger way than previously years. But there are some schools in the capital where students and teachers were still not decided on what to do.
Alif Hossain, a student of Mirpur Siddhanta High School, said: “We don’t know if we are going to celebrate Pohela Boishakh or not. We asked some of our teachers, but they didn’t seem to know anything.” Jyotirmoy Sen, a teacher at the school, added: “Our school authorities have not said anything to us yet about celebrating the day. If we decide to celebrate, then it will be wonderful. I personally believe such important days should be celebrated with great enthusiasm.”
Tehsin Islam Sabir, a student of Dhaka Commerce College, said: “I am not sure if we are going to organise anything on Pohela Boishakh. Even last year, when I was a first-year HSC student, our college didn’t organise anything. Sometimes, I wonder why we all celebrate the English New Year, but don’t show that much excitement in celebrating the Bengali New Year. I think the government is taking the right step to make people more aware of our own culture, and that’s a good thing. I believe we should try to learn more about our own culture and traditions and occasions like Pohela Boishakh present us with that opportunity.”
For many youths, celebrating Pohela Boishakh at their educational institutions can be a completely new experience. Many of those who live in the city discover the joy of celebrating a traditional festival with fellow students. Rubel Hossain, a student of Mirpur Bangla College, said: “I love to celebrate Pohela Boishakh with my friends at my college. I don’t usually take part in the preparations, but I like to watch my friends do the work! Wherever you live, be it a posh area ofthe capital or some remote village of the country, Pohela Boishakh gives us the chance to experience some integral parts of our Bengali culture and heritage.”
In Chittagong, different socio-cultural organisations and educational institutions are busy arranging programmes to welcome the first day of the Bengali New Year 1424.
Abul Hossain, Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) of Chittagong district, said, “We have received a letter with some instructions from the Ministry of Culture to observe the day. We have held a meeting with representatives of different organisations. We have also asked all educational institutions in the city to observe the day.”
Faridul Alam Hossaini, head teacher of Nasirabad Government Boys High School, said, “We have received a letter and instructions from the district administration. We are taking preparations to observe the day in a befitting manner.” Biplob Sikder, a teacher of Rahamania School, also said the same thing.
Students of the Institute of Fine Arts of Chittagong University were found working round the clock to prepare a traditional Mangal Shobhajatra, which will pass throughthe portcity’s main points on April 14. Another procession will be brought out on Chaitra Sankranti to bid farewell to the outgoing year on April 13.
“Our students are working hard continuously day and night to make preparations to observe Chaitra Sankranti and Pohela Boishakh,” said Shaila Sharmin, director of the Institute.
Mohammad Riyad, a student of Fine Arts, said they were working in full-swing to make colourful replicas of elephants, tigers, fish, birds andtigers, as well as various masks and folk art wall murals.
Premier University, Southern University and Chittagong College will also arrange daylong programmes on their campus. Fulki, a cultural organisation, will also organise programmes for children.
In Rajshahi, after getting directives from theauthorities, educational institutions of the city are preparing to observe Pohela Boishakh with students and teachers through various events, including Mangal Shobhajatra, wearing of masks, puppet shows, eating traditional foods, like rice pies.
Habibur Rahman, Principal of Rajshahi College, said students and teachers observe Pohela Boishakh every year, but this year it will be a bit different. “In addition to Mangal Shobhojatra, steps have been taken to exhibit various traditions of rural areas, such as Boishakhi mela, folk songs, dance and theatre, puppet show, wall and floor arts decorations and eating of traditional foods,” Rahman said.
Soumma Swarna, a student of Rajshahi College, said all the students were very excited for Pohela Boishakh and they have already planned various programmes to observe the day with funfair and traditions to “resume our past glories of celebrating Pohela Boishakh”.
Abdul Hye, a student of Rajshahi New Degree Government College, said the students were engaged in arranging various programmes for the day in cooperation with their teachers.
Alo Rani, a teacher of Rajshahi Education Board Model School and College, said a committee has been formed at the college to observe Pohela Boishakh highlighting centuries of rural traditions of our country.

Shamsuddin Illius, Staff Reporter at The Independent’s Chittagong Bureau, and Rashid Rusho, Rajshahi Correspondent of the newspaper, also contributed to this report.

Photos: File