Chhayanaut, the country’s esteemed cultural institution known for its traditional flagship event on April 14 to welcome the Bengali new calendar year, is once again gearing up to welcome 1430 with the traditional Pahela Baishakh cultural festivity at Ramna Park in the capital.
This marks the second consecutive year that Pahela Baishakh will be observed during the holy month of Ramadan, and the festivity this year has been planned accordingly respecting the unity and essence of the holy month, the institution informed at a press conference on Monday at the Chhayanaut Shanskriti Bhavan in the capital’s Dhanmondi.
The press conference was joined by Chhayanaut Vice-Presidents Dr Atiur Rahman and Khairul Anam Shakil, General Secretary Laisa Ahmed Lisa, and its Joint Secretary Jayanta Roy.
At the press conference, it was informed that the senior and junior artists of the institution have been rehearsing for the last two months to welcome the new year in style with their combined and enthralling performances, under the Banyan tree at the Ramna Park.
The two-hour-long cultural event will comprise group and solo songs, and poetry recitations, starting at 6:15 am.
“In general, more than a hundred of our performers participate and showcase their musical performances every year at Chhayanaut's Pahela Baishakh live event at Ramna. The festivity was peacefully observed last year during the month of holy Ramadan, and this year we are hoping to continue the tradition as well,” Chhayanaut General Secretary Laisa Ahmed Lisa said at the press conference.
It was also informed that the stage installation and preparation are already completed, and the organisers expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Housing and Public Works for the allocation of basic permissions regarding the venue, as well as the security enforcement unit of the government and the volunteers of 13th Hussars Open Rover Scout Group for the cooperation.
Chhayanaut, founded in 1961, has earned global fame for organizing the traditional, extravagant cultural festivity of Pahela Baishakh at Ramna Park every year. The only exception was in 1971, during the Liberation War of Bangladesh, and then in 2020-2021 due to the global outbreak of COVID-19.
One of the most coveted and long-awaited festivities in Bangladesh, the traditional cultural presentation of Chhayanaut marking the Pahela Baishakh has earned its fame as one of the grandest regular cultural celebrations in the world.
Bangladesh Television (BTV) and Bangladesh Betar will telecast the program from the venue, live from 6:15 am on April 14. The event will also be broadcasted on Chhayanaut’s official YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@ChhayanautDigitalPlatform.