As the old year bowed out, Ramna Batamul in the heart of Dhaka transformed into a vibrant sea of humanity welcoming the Bangla New Year 1432.
The first day of the new year, Pahela Baishakh, was ushered in with the capital’s most anticipated celebration, steeped in song, spirit and tradition.
From dawn on Monday (14 April) crowds began to gather beneath the age-old banyan tree at Ramna, where the iconic festivities unfolded.
To ensure safety, members of law enforcement maintained a tight security cordon around the venue.
The celebrations officially commenced at 6:15am, as nearly 150 vocalists and instrumentalists harmonised in a melodic invocation of the new year. Though the initial audience was sparse, by 7am a steady stream of people - clad in vibrant attire and united beyond all divisions - flooded the area, lending the event a truly festive air.
Ramna’s Batamul quickly swelled to capacity, with throngs of revellers spreading across the grounds of the adjacent park.
The programme began with a musical rendition in raga Bhairavi, setting the tone for the cultural pageantry to follow.
This year’s festivities at Batamul featured 24 performances in total, including nine choral songs, twelve solos and three recitations. The welcome address to the new year was delivered by Sarwar Ali, executive president of Chhayanaut, the esteemed cultural institution that has orchestrated the Ramna Batamul celebrations since 1967.
The celebrations are set to conclude with a rousing rendition of the national anthem. For this year’s Pahela Baishakh, a grand half-moon stage — 72 feet long and 30 feet wide, arranged in five tiers — was constructed, accommodating the ensemble of performers who greeted the new year in a resounding chorus of unity and hope.
Once again, the indomitable spirit of the Bangla people found eloquent expression under the sacred banyan, as tradition and togetherness marked the dawn of 1432.
