Dhaka, Apr 14: Thousands of Bangladeshi gathered on the streets of capital Dhaka amid festivities to welcome the Bengali New Year or “Poila Baishakh” on Sunday.
‘Poila Baisakh' marks the beginning of the Bengali New Year, which they celebrate in a grand manner by taking out colourful processions on the streets.
During the procession, the melodious strains of Rabindra Sangeet, songs written and composed by Nobel laureate and poet Rabindranath Tagore filled the air as women wearing bright colourful saris, men in white tunics and children in colourful costumes walked through the city streets singing the songs.
Besides singing and dancing, traditional Bengali cuisine is also an integral part of celebrations.
It is on this day that farmers start harvesting their crops.
“Poila Baishakh” has its origins rooted deep in the culture and tradition of this country and is seen as a cultural expression by the people as part of their tradition.
On this day, businessmen continue the practice of doing “haalkhata” or the opening of new account books and celebrate it with jovial functions that include distribution of sweets and other food to share the joy.
Special local dishes and delicacies are prepared in most homes and this adds to the aura of the celebrations.
Traditionally, the festival is a day to be spent rejoicing with family and friends. For traders, it is time to close one set of accounts and open another.
Poila Baisakh celebrations are conducted for over a week and a variety of cultural programmes are held to mark the occasion.
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