Monsoon ushered with festivity

Of all the seasons, the monsoon has a special appeal to the people, particularly to the Bengalis. Though the city people have been getting a few showers over the last few weeks, the season officially began Wednesday, on the first day of the Bengali month Ashar.

Several cultural organisations held special programs in the capital celebrating the advent of the monsoon, which included recitations, dances, and songs.

Welcoming the monsoon, prominent cultural organisation Udichi Shilpigosthi, organised a day-long festival titled ‘Barsha Utsab 1429’ at the Nazrul Mancha of Bangla Academy in the capital on Wednesday.

The platform at the Barsha Utsab called for providing the farmers and unemployed people with commodities at subsidised rates as they remain the worst victims of the wrath of the monsoon.

They said that their celebration of the monsoon is not for only the urban middle-class people rather for all the working people.

Apart from celebrating the lives of working-class people, the organisers called for the cancellation of the projects that have destroyed lives and nature, halting the so-called development works in an unplanned way, and freeing the rivers from encroachment.

Professor Ratan Siddiqui, the chief narrator of Barsha Kathan at the festival, said, “Life is purified in rainwater. The monsoon, with its innate power, possesses life, customs, culture and literature. As the first shower of the monsoon awakens nature, the power of the cultural movement will awaken the people and play a role in building an egalitarian and non-communal Bangladesh.”

Habibul Alam, vice-president of Dhaka Metropolitan Udichi, presided over the discussion, while Professor Badiur Rahman, president of Udichi, and Amit Ranjan Dey, general secretary of the organisation, and Poet Rahman Mufiz, a member of Udichi’s central secretariat,joined in the discussion.

The event started with Jyoti Banerjee’s setar playing on Meghmallar raga. After that, Dhaka Metropolitan Sangsad, Udichi Mirpur, Badda, Lalbagh, Rayerbazar, and Savar units performed songs. Udichi Kafrul branch and dancer Mukta Tagore performed dance. Ananya Laboni Putul, Belayet Hossain, and Mizanur Rahman Sumon recited poems. Solo performances were done by Bijan Chandra Mistry, Mehedi Farid and Rezaul Karim Tulu. A street play ‘Barak Bansh’ was performed by the Drama Department of Udichi Dhaka Metropolitan Sangshad. The play was directed by Nazmul Haque Babu.

Meanwhile, the Barsha Utsab Udjapon Parishad held its ‘Barsha Utsab 1429’ at the Teacher-Student Centre of Dhaka University.

The programme began at 7:30pm with the performance of renowned instrumentalist Hasan Ali on flute.

The Dhaka University Cultural Society also organised an event named ‘Ashar Parban 1429’ sponsored by Revival Tea on Wednesday at the TSC auditorium of University of Dhaka University. Dr Muhammad Samad, Dhaka University pro vice-chancellor (Administration), inaugurated the program at 4:30pm .The cultural function began after the inaugural episode. Besides the music performance of the band ‘Krishnapaksha’, there was a day-long fair of handicrafts, representing young entrepreneurs.