Marking the end of the Bengali month of Chaitra, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) and Bangladesh Musical Bands Association (BAMBA) jointly organised the first-ever 'Chaitra Sankranti Band Show and Cultural Programme' at the capital’s historic Suhrawardy Udyan on Sunday afternoon.

Organised under the initiative of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, the open-air concert drew a large crowd of music enthusiasts, who braved the sweltering heat to celebrate the occasion. Audience members from diverse communities including Bengali, Marma, Tripura, Chakma, Khasi, and Garo joined in, singing along, dancing, and immersing themselves in the festive spirit.

The event began at 4pm with the thunderous beats of traditional Bangladeshi dhak, performed by a troupe of around 50 drummers, captivating the urban audience. This was followed by an impressive display of lathi khela (stick fighting) by a group of skilled performers.

For over eight hours, the stage came alive with performances by bands representing both the plains and hill communities — a first-of-its-kind initiative by BSA and BAMBA.

The Tripura community’s band 'Imang' opened the musical segment, followed by 'Unity' from the Khasi community, and 'Chimbuk' representing the Marma community.

Later in the evening, popular band 'Dalchhut' took to the stage, kicking off their set with the hit song ‘Din Bari Jay’, followed by crowd favourites ‘Pori’, ‘Teerhara Ei Dhew-er Shagor’, and ‘Gari Chole Na’.

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At the evening, popular band 'AvoidRafa' performed a string of popular numbers including ‘Ami Akash Pathabo’. They were followed by performances from Stonefree, the Chakma band Invocation, and F Minor, an all-female band from the Garo community.

However, the festive atmosphere was marred by unruly behaviour from some audience members, with incidents of disrespectful conduct towards the bands from the hill tracts drawing concern and criticism.

The stage was then taken over by popular bands Lalon and Artcell, before Feedback enthralled the crowd with ‘Melay Jaire’, a song synonymous with the Bengali New Year celebrations.

The final performance of the night came from Warfaze, and the concert concluded with a moving rendition of Michael Jackson’s ‘Heal the World’, performed collectively by all participating artists, expressing solidarity with the people of Palestine.

Earlier in the event, Mohammad Wares Hossain, acting Director General of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, and Mehzabin Rahman, Director of BSA’s Music, Dance, and Recitation Department, addressed the audience.

The entire event was streamed live through the official Facebook page of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.