Pahela Baishakh being celebrated with gaiety

Pahela Baishakh, the first day of Bangla calendar, is being celebrated today (Monday) amid fanfare, festivity and gaiety across the country under tight security cover. True to their centuries old tradition, people from all walks of life started gathering at different popular and historic spots at dawn in Dhaka city and elsewhere to hail the New Year 1421 with new hopes and aspirations for a better, peaceful year. The celebration of Pahela Baishakh has become an integral part of Bangalis since it began over six centuries back. Mughal Emperor Akbar introduced the Bangla calendar in the 1556 of the Gregorian calendar in a bid to streamline the timing of land tax collection in the then 'Subah Bangla' region, the much of which falls under Bangladesh. The day is a public holiday. Traders and shopkeepers across the country will open ‘Halkhata’ (new book of accounts) and entertain customers and visitors with sweets on the first day of the New Year as part of the tradition and culture. On the occasion, President Abdul Hamid, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia issued separate messages conveying their New Year’s greetings to the people of the country and all Bengali-speaking people across the globe. In his message, the President said the appeal of the Pahela Baishakh in the life of Bangalees is unique and universal. “The Bangla New Year bring the messages of unalloyed pleasure and strengthen our unity in all aspects of our national life by forgetting all the past conflicts and ignominies,” Hamid added. In her message, the Prime Minister expressed the hope that the Bangla New Year festival will help unite the nation. “It’ll give us strength to create a resistance against communalism, religious dogmatism and anti-state evil force.” Hasina also hoped that New Year 1421 will bring happiness, prosperity and unending pleasure for all by removing the sordid past and disgrace. Khaleda Zia, in her message, said Pahela Baishakh reminds the nation about its glorious tradition. “The nation’s self identity shines on the day.” She hoped that the Bangla New Year festival would bring happiness, peace and unalloyed pleasure for all, according to a news agency.