Dhaka city is still to get its usual look though the city dwellers have started returning to the capital after holidays for Eid-ul-Fitr and Pahela Baishakh. The bustling capital looked empty with most of the roadside shops, shopping malls closed and few public and private vehicles plying the streets in the morning. The government, semi-government, and private offices including banks and financial institutions opened today but there was a low presence of employees. Officials and staff were seen exchanging Eid greetings with colleagues by embracing each other. A small number of buses and private vehicles were seen plying the streets in Malibagh, Shantinagar, Gulshan, Firmgate , Dhamondi, Mirpur  and Shahbagh areas in the morning. Read more: Delicious Bhorta Recipes for This Pahela Baishakh Md Yousuf, an employee of a private bank, said, “Still a festive environment is prevailing in the city. There is no traffic jam or chaos on streets. It took me only 6 minutes to reach Gulshan from Rajarbagh area by car that usually takes 30 to 40 minutes on the other regular days due to traffic congestion. It’s a temporary relief for Dhaka dwellers.”  On the occasion of Eid, April 10, 11, and 12 (Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday) were public holidays. After Eid, there was a weekly holiday on Saturday, April 13, and a Bengali New Year holiday on the occasion of Pahela Baishakh on Sunday, April 14. However, many of the government and private sector workers who went outside Dhaka to celebrate Eid took optional leave. As a result, it will take a few more days to start the proceedings in full swing in the offices, courts, banks, and stock market. Besides, schools and colleges will also open next week. Then the capital will return to normal. Read more: No respite from heat wave in five days: BMD

Pahela Baishakh, the first day of Bangla New year, is being celebrated with great enthusiasm and in a universal festive mood on Friday. The celebration started with Mangal Shobhajatra, headed by DU Vice Chancellor Mohammad Akhtaruzzaman at 9:00 am. The rally was brought out from the Fine Arts faculty of the university and moved around the campus. State Minister for Culture KM Khalid participated in the procession. "Bengali New Year 1430 has appeared with a message of hope and success. Mangal Shobhajatra is our cultural heritage. It is listed in the UNESCO heritage list too. Our struggle for freedom started through cultural movement," said the VC. He said, "The procession is a cultural tradition of the Bengalees. Now it belongs to thr World Heritage. Thus, this cultural heritage belongs to the international community too." "It is a great resource for every person in the world. It is our collective responsibility of all to maintain, preserve and spread it among all. And it reflects inclusive vision and philosophy," he said. "It is a humanitarian and non-sectarian call against all forms of extremism," he added. The two main motifs in this year's rally are child in the mother's lap and blue bull (Nilgai). As the child is safe in the mother's arms there is symbolically the message of global peace. Apart from this, Nilgai has been kept as a symbol of endangered and lost animals. Apart from this, four other motifs have been displayed in the procession. They are tiger, peacock, sheep and deer. Personnel from special security forces ensured the security of Mangal Shovazatra by providing end-to-end protocol to the rally. "You know there have been threats, a lawyer has even filed a case in the High Court to stop the Mangal Shobhajatra. From that point of view, we took every possible measure to ensure the safety," said state minister Khalid. Though the students of the fine arts faculty prepared the festive masks of owls for the Pahela Baishakh celebration, the masks were prohibited to use due to security reasons. To ensure security, movement of all kinds of vehicles except stickered vehicles of DU have been restricted in the campus area. The Suhrawardy Udyan gate near TSC will also be locked till the evening of the first day of Bangla New Year but the gate near Ramana Kali mandir, Bangla Academy, Engineering Institute and Chobir hat gate of Suhrawardy Udyan Will be open for the visitors. Visitors can only enter the campus till 5 pm today then the area will be locked and no one can enter the campus after the specified time but they can exit.  

Bhorta (mashed) food items are an integral part of Bengali cuisine. Especially, during the scorching heat of summer days, bhorta made with vegetables, greens, or peels can keep the body cool and the mind at peace. Besides, bhorta items can be made with fish that are either boiled, steamed, baked, charred, or lightly fried. During Pahela Baishakh, or Bengali New Year, Bangladeshis love to eat different bhorta items along with panta rice and fried hilsa fish. Let’s take a look at 10 mouth-watering bhorta recipes to celebrate this Pahela Baishakh. 10 Tasty Bhorta Recipes for Pahela Baishakh Egg-Potato Mashed Recipe (Dim-Aloo Bhorta) Ingredients Potatoes - 3-4, egg - 1 (boiled), onion - 1/8 cup (chopped), dry red chilies - 4 (as you like), salt - ½ teaspoon, and mustard oil - 2 tbsp. Preparations First, wash potatoes and eggs properly. Now boil potatoes in 4 cups of water for 20 minutes in a deep pan. Then add the egg and cook for another 12 minutes. When the potatoes become tender and the egg boils well, take them out of the hot water. Don’t put potatoes in the hot water for a long time as they will be too soft and moist by absorbing water. Then peel the potatoes and egg after they cool down.  Now, take a bowl and mash the potatoes and egg. Meanwhile, take another bowl and mash roasted red chilies, and onion. Add the red chili mixture to the potato-egg mash and combine it well. Finally, add mustard oil and continue mashing till the potatoes have a sticky texture. Garnish and serve with plain rice. Read More: 11 Summer Iftar Drink Recipes to Fight Dehydration. Mashed Almond Recipe (Badam Bhorta) Ingredients ½ cup almonds, 4-5 chilies (dry roasted), ⅛ cup chopped onion, ½ teaspoon salt, and 2 tbsp mustard oil. Preparations First, fry the almonds. Wait until the almonds become cool. After cooling, grind them. Then add onion slices, pepper, and salt to the almond batter. Finally, pour mustard oil and mix the combination well again. Enjoy with rice. Read More: The Ultimate Dining Experience: Dhaka Cloud Kitchen & Catering Services operating in Gulshan, Banani, Baridhara and Bashundhara Mashed Lentil Recipe (Dal Bhorta) Ingredients 1 cup Masoor Daal, 2 cloves garlic, ½ tsp turmeric powder, ⅛ cup chopped onions, 1 tsp salt (as needed), 1/8 cup coriander leaves (chopped), 2-3 tbsp mustard oil, and 3-4 dry red chili. Preparations First, wash and clean the lentils. Now boil 1 cup of lentils with 2 cups of water in a deep pan for 8-10 minutes. Skim off the foams that come on top of the lentils during cooking. After boiling, add the turmeric and garlic to the pan. When water decreases, minimize the heat and cover the pan. As soon as the water has completely evaporated, remove the pan from the stove.  Meanwhile, fry dry chilies in another pan, and when they become blackish-brown, remove the pan. Now mash the roasted chilies and put salt into them. Add chopped onion, coriander leaves, and mustard oil to the mixture of boiled lentils and mashed dried chili. Now mash the mixture thoroughly by hand. Add extra salt if needed. Enjoy the bhorta with rice. Read More: Delicious Jackfruit Recipes to Try Out Today

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) Director General M Khurshid Hossain today (Thursday, April 13, 2023) said the letter threatening attack on Mangal Shobhajatra was sent to a Fine Arts Institute’s student to create panic and it is not a threat from militants. “The letter was sent to create panic. It has nothing to do with politics,” he said while talking to reporters at the Ramna Batamul in the capital after inspecting the security arrangements at the venue for the Bangla New Year celebrations on Friday. Read more: Pohela Boishakh: Mangal Shovajatra to be arranged with global perspectives in mind this year Regarding the security for Pahela Baishakh celebrations, he said  the Rab commando team is ready to deal with any kind of situation that may arise, as well as each Rab battalion has started special intelligence surveillance across the country.

After spending two Bengali New Year celebrations with no in-person events and virtual celebrations, different government and cultural organisations finally welcomed Bangla New Year 1429 by organizing diverse programmes at different public venues. The festivities of the day started in the early morning with the traditional cultural programme organised by Chhayanaut at the Ramna Batamul in the capital. Also read:Amid tight security, Pahela Boisakh celebrated in DU Dhaka University campus to witness Mangal Shobhajatra brought out by fine arts faculty of Dhaka University to welcome the advent of Baishakh 1429. Besides, special programmes will be organised in Uttara, Dhanmondi and other areas in the capital at 6:15 am. The two-hour programme featured group and solo songs presentations, dance recitals, speech and poetry recitations and instrumental presentations.

After two years of muted celebrations due to the pandemic, Bengalees are observing Pahela Baishakh, the first day of the Bangla calendar, with gaiety and pomp. The festivities began early on Thursday morning, with artistes from Chhayanaut welcoming the day with Tagore’s famous song ‘Esho hey Baishakh, esho, esho (Come O Baishakh, Come)’ under the banyan tree at Ramna Park. People from all walks of life thronged different popular and historic spots in the capital and elsewhere across the country to welcome the Bangla New Year, 1429, with new hopes and aspirations for a better, peaceful year.

The nation is set to celebrate Pahela Baishakh, the first day of Bangla calendar, on Thursday amid festivities and full enthusiasm after two years of hiatus caused by the Covid pandemic. The festivities will begin at dawn with the artistes from Chhayanaut welcoming the day with Tagore’s famous song ‘Esho hey Baishakh, esho, esho (come O Baishakh, come)’ under the banyan tree at the Ramna Park. True to their centuries old tradition, people from all walks of life will throng different popular and historic spots in the capital and elsewhere across the country to welcome the Bangla New Year, 1429 with new hopes and aspirations for a better, peaceful year. However, as Pahela Baishakh will be celebrated during the holy month of Ramadan, the festivities have been scaled down. Dhaka University is all set to welcome the Bengali New Year with the vibrancy and festivity. Regarded as the educational and socio-cultural hub of the country, Dhaka University and its Faculty of Fine Arts (FFA), better known as Charukala, have taken preparations to observe this year’s Pahela Baishakh. As this year’s Pahela Baishakh is knocking on the door to be celebrated with great enthusiasm after an unfortunate two-year break with restrictions on public gatherings and celebrations of public programmes in 2020 and 2021, this year the DU authority alongside its teachers and students has geared up to welcome the return of the festivities in the campus arena. Also read: RAB on alert to make Pahela Baishakh festival smooth and safe: DG Traditionally, every year Dhaka University celebrates this national function with festive traits by arranging different sorts of functions including the colourful procession called the “Mangal Shobhajatra” (March of Good Tidings). The flagship procession was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2016. According to the DU authority, this year's “Mangal Shobhajatra” will start from the university's Teacher-Student Centre (TSC) premises at 9 am. The procession will be brought out from the Sarak Deep area of the TSC, as the road in front of the FFA has been narrowed due to the ongoing construction work of Metro Rail.

After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, Dhaka University is all set to welcome the Bengali New Year 1429 with the vibrancy and festivity usually associated with Pahela Baishakh on April 14 (Thursday).  Regarded as the educational and socio-cultural hub of the country, Dhaka University and its Faculty of Fine Arts (FFA), better known as Charukala, are preparing to observe this year’s Pahela Baishakh for the last couple of weeks.  As this year’s Pahela Baishakh is knocking on the door to be celebrated with great enthusiasm after an unfortunate two-year break with restrictions on public gatherings and celebrations of public programmes in 2020 and 2021, this year the DU authority alongside its teachers and students has geared up to welcome the return of the festivities in the campus arena. Also read:Pahela Baishakh celebrations must end by 2 pm: DMP Commissioner Traditionally, every year Dhaka University celebrates this national function with festive traits by arranging different sorts of functions including the colourful procession called the “Mangal Shobhajatra” (March of Good Tidings). The flagship procession was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2016. 

Leading global smartphone brand vivo has announced discount for three of its phones on the occasion of Bengali New Year.  The discounted models are V23e, Y53s and Y1s, both from the brand's Y series, said a press release issued on Tuesday. Also read: Vivo Y33s 4G Review: Do features accompany premium look? From now onwards, v23e will be available on Tk 25990, where it was before at Tk 27990, the vivo Y53s will be sold at the promotional price of Tk20,990, instead of the regular price of Tk22,990 and the Y1s for Tk8,990 (regular price Tk9,990). Sales Director for vivo Bangladesh Sharon said that the Y series has always been well received by buyers because of high-quality features at affordable prices.  "The vivo Y series phones are unmatched when it comes to affordable phones with good features. Pahela Baishakh is one of the biggest festivals in Bangladesh. And people may look to get new phones on this occasion. We are offering the discount so that consumers can buy great phones for affordable prices," she said. Read:Vivo redefines smartphone charging capabilities through Fast Charge Technology vivo V23e vivo's V23e combines one of the industry's top front cameras, along with cutting-edge innovations in autofocus and various portrait modes, including AI Extreme Night Portrait and Multi-Style Portrait. The new V23e runs on Fun touch OS 12, supported by an 8 GB + 4 GB Extended RAM experience with Extended RAM 2.0, allowing 4GB of memory to be used as RAM whenever necessary, providing a lag-free experience. vivo Y53s With a Tk 2,000 discount, the 8 GB RAM and 128 GB ROM device will be of even greater value. Fitted with a 5,000mAh battery and capable of 33W fast charging, the Y53s has a 16-megapixel front and 64-megapixel main camera on the back. The back-camera system has 2 more cameras, each 2 megapixels. Read Eid Offers 2022: Various Deals, and Discounts in Bangladesh vivo Y1s The least expensive of the three, the Y1s has 2 GB RAM and 32 GB ROM. The phone has a 4030mAh battery and available in Olive Black and Aurora Blue colors.

This year, the programmes  for celebrating Pahela Baishakh must end by 2 pm and setting up of food stalls will not be allowed at Ramna fair premises due to Ramadan. Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Md Shafiqul Islam said these on Tuesday at a press briefing after overseeing the security arrangements at the city’s Ramna Batamul ahead of Bengali New Year. Also read: Raushon, GM Quader greet PM on Pahela Baishakh He said, “After remaining suspended for two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the traditional festival welcoming the Bengali New Year will be celebrated this year on a limited scale. Due to Ramadan New Year celebration will be a little bit different this year as no food stall including that of ‘Panta Bhat’ will be permitted.” He said Chhayanaut was asked to end the celebration progammes by 11 am and the concerned authorities were asked to wind up fair at Ramna by 2 pm so that people can easily have their Iftar after getting out from here. From 1 pm all the entrances of the fair area will be closed. The DMP Commissioner said to attend Mangal Shobhajatra, people will have to undergo checking and the members of law enforcement agencies will ensure no one joins the procession halfway.