Preparations for celebrating Pahela Baishakh, the first day of Bangla New Year, on April 14 with fanfare and festivity are going on in full swing.
Various cultural organizations and institutions, including Chhayanat, Dhaka University's Fine Arts Faculty, Bangla Academy, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, National Press Club and Dhaka Reporters' Unity have chalked out special programmes to celebrate the biggest festival of the Bengalis.
Dhaka University campus is likely to be a major celebration venue, as Baishakhi festival has been taking place over there since 1989. Students of the Fine Arts Faculty will bring out a colorful rally, 'Mongol Shovajatra', with festoons, paper-masks and banners in the morning of Pahela Baishakh. The students are now working day and night for preparing festoons, masks under the supervision of their teachers, said Prof Rafiqun Nabi of the faculty.
The Fine Arts Faculty programme will include songs, dances, Jatra Pala and face painting by its students.
Another popular venue of the celebrations will be Ramna Batamul inside Ramna Park. Every year thousands of people assemble there in a festive mood.
Chhayanat, a prominent cultural organization, has been organizing Baishakhi programme at the Batamul since 1967. This time they will render songs and recite poems.
Rashid Al Helal, Chhayanat's programme coordinator, said like every year the programme will start at 6:15am with about 125 artistes, including children and students of Chhayanat.
They will perform for more than two hours, which will be telecast live by Channel i.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner AKM Shahidul Huq told UNB Friday that more than 10,000 law enforcers will be deployed at festival venues to avert any unpleasant incident.
Meanwhile, the DU authorities have imposed restriction on movement of vehicles, including rickshaws, through the campus on the day.
Source: UNB, Dhaka