Spirit of Pahela Baishakh

Today all Bangladeshis irrespective of religious identities and political affiliations celebrate the first day of the Bengali New Year. Over the years Pahela Baishakh has evolved into a truly secular festival which is celebrated with great enthusiasm by people from all walks of life. Indeed the spontaneous celebration of the day inspires the overwhelming majority of the people of this country to continue the fight against religious fanaticism and religious intolerance. This unity makes the day more significant. On this day forgetting all dissensions, everyone gets absorbed deeply into the one national feeling.

Of the major holidays celebrated in Bangladesh, only Pahela Baishakh comes without any preexisting expectations (specific religious identity, culture of gift-giving, etc.). Unlike holidays like Eid ul-Fitr, where dressing up in lavish clothes has become a norm, or Christmas where exchanging gifts has become an integral part of the holiday, Pahela Baishakh is really about celebrating the simpler, rural roots of the Bengal. As a result, more people can participate in the festivities together without the burden of having to reveal one’s class, religion, or financial capacity.

The main celebration begins this morning with a big event at Dhaka’s Ramna Batamul. In the capital, celebrations included the Mangal Shobhajatra, a traditional colourful procession that sets off from the Bangla Academy.

Bengali New Year celebrations began under Mughal Emperor Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar to mark the end of the annual tax collection. Accordingly, Fatehullah Shirazi, a renowned scholar and astronomer, formulated the Bengali year on the basis of the Hijri lunar and Hindu solar calendars. According to tradition, on this day traders and shopkeepers open the Hal Khata (new account register) and serve sweetmeats to their customers. Over time, the celebration became an integral part of Bengali culture.

In the pre-independence period, celebration of Pahela Baishakh worked as a way to flaunt Bengali Nationalism. The day continued to be celebrated in East Pakistan as a symbol of Bengali culture. After 1972 it became a national festival, a symbol of the Bangladesh nationalist movement and an integral part of the people’s cultural heritage.

People of all ages, irrespective of religion and caste, attend the Bengali New Year celebrations. And this creates a sense of universal brotherhood, non-communal consciousness, and secularism. Children, teenagers, and women wear traditional clothes and go to the fair on the first day of Baishakh. On this day, they eat various traditional food and cakes, including panta-ilish. This year would, of course, be an exception because of Ramadan.

A unique attraction of Bengali New Year is Baishakhi Mela. Although this fair has not been celebrated since the arrival of Covid-19 pandemic, its position is rooted to be very deep in the heart of Bengalis. The fair of Pahela Boishakh has become universal fair, and various cultures of Bengal, such as puppet shows, merry-go-round and snake charming, are organized in this fair. A variety of cottage products and various works of art made of clay and bamboo are presented at this Baishakhi fair, which is the bearer of Bengali culture.

Forgetting the frustrations and hardships of the old years, the entire Bengali nation celebrates this day with the hope of something new in the New Year all over the country. Bengali New Year is a festival that creates mutual bonds, brotherhood, cooperation, friendship, and love among Bengalis. It has become a national festival of Bengalis and, at the same time, has become an integral part of the national spirit of Bengalis and an essential part of Bengali identity.

The New Year not only provides a link to the past but is an occasion to take stock and look to the future. Let Pahela Baishakh’s message of unity and inclusiveness inspire everyone to work together to ensure a better year ahead.