United News of Bangladesh

The nation on Tuesday celebrated Pahela Baishakh, the first day of the Bengali New Year 11433, with vibrant festivities across the country, showcasing the rich cultural heritage and traditions of the Bengalis. In the capital, Chhayanaut began the day’s celebrations at dawn with its iconic musical event under the banyan tree at Ramna Batamul, drawing large crowds. The Faculty of Fine Arts at University of Dhaka brought out the traditional ‘Baishakhi Shobhajatra’ with the theme ‘Harmony of the New Year, Revival of Democracy,’ adding colour and vibrancy to the celebrations. The procession, which began at 9:00am from the faculty, ended at the starting point after parading through Shahbagh, Raju Sculpture, TSC, Doel Chattar and Bangla Academy. In the procession, a horse riding police fleet was in first position, then a group of DU students carrying the national flag followed by distinguished guests, including Cultural Affairs Minister Nitai Roy Chowdhury. Following them, the main motifs, including a rooster, violin, pigeon, horse, and elephant, displayed one after another. Following the tradition of folk symbols, these represent the multi-dimensional significance of strength, creation, peace, glory, and dynamism. Outside the capital, the Bengali New Year was celebrated across the country with a multitude of arrangements, including processions and other cultural festivities.  

Pahela Baishakh was welcomed in a colourful and festive atmosphere as the traditional Baishakhi Shobhajatra brought out from the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Dhaka drew crowds of enthusiastic people on Tuesday. The procession, adorned with masks and traditional folk motifs, reflected the rich cultural heritage of Bengal while promoting messages of unity, harmony and resistance to injustice.  

The University of Dhaka (DU) is set to celebrate Pahela Baishakh on Tuesday with vibrant festivities, with preparations for the ‘Baishakhi Shobhajatra’ nearing completion. Marking Bengali New Year 1433, this year’s procession will begin at 9:00am from the Faculty of Fine Arts with the theme “Harmony of the New Year, Resurrection of Democracy.” Artists and students were seen working intensively to complete large-scale motifs, including the much-anticipated elephant structure. The procession will start from Gate No. 3 (North) of the faculty, proceed towards Shahbagh, make a U-turn there, pass the Raju Sculpture and TSC, head towards Doel Chattar, and return via Bangla Academy. Authorities have set strict entry and security guidelines. Participants will be allowed to enter only through Nilkhet and Palashi intersections, while other entry points will remain closed. To maintain order and aesthetic appeal, entering the procession from the sidelines is prohibited. Carrying ID cards is mandatory.

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) Director General Md Ahsan Habib Palash on Monday said there is no specific security threat centering the Pahela Baishakh celebrations but the elite force remains fully prepared to face any sabotage. He made the remarks while briefing reporters after visiting security arrangements at Ramna Batamul in the capital. To ensure a festive and peaceful environment, RAB has deployed all its 15 battalions across the country. A total of 308 patrol teams including 181 pickup patrol units and 127 motorcycle patrol teams will remain active in the field until the end of Baishakhi programmes. Plainclothes intelligence surveillance has also been intensified, he said. In Dhaka, special security measures have been taken at key venues including Shahbagh, TSC, Suhrawardy Udyan, Rabindra Sarobar, Hatirjheel, Manik Mia Avenue, Bangla Academy and Ramna Batamul. Checkposts and observation posts have been set up alongside strengthening regular patrols. To prevent any possible sabotage, bomb disposal units and dog squads are conducting sweeping operations and remain on standby. Adequate reserve forces, control rooms, foot patrols and CCTV monitoring have also been ensured nationwide. Strict monitoring is ongoing to prevent the spread of rumours, provocative or false information. Special measures have also been taken to ensure women's safety and prevent eve-teasing and harassment at celebration venues, he added. He called upon all to immediately inform law enforcement agencies if any suspicious activity or security concern is noticed Expressing optimism, he said this year’s Pahela Baishakh will be celebrated in a peaceful and festive atmosphere like previous years.  

Dhaka University metro rail station will remain non-operational on Tuesday (Pahela Baishakh), the Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) said on Monday. Besides, Shahbagh station will remain closed until 12 pm, it said. The metro rail authorities expressed sincere apologies for the temporary inconvenience caused to passengers. Extensive security measures have been taken to ensure that people from all walks of life can celebrate the Bengali New Year peacefully, according to Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP). Dhaka Metropolitan area has been divided into nine sectors and 14 sub-sectors for effective security management. A large number of police personnel both in uniform and plainclothes will be deployed in each area. Specialised units including dog squads and bomb disposal teams will conduct sweeping operations at key venues. Fourteen security checkpoints with barricades will be set up in areas including Ramna Park, Suhrawardy Udyan, and Dhaka University and cisitors will be screened using archways and handheld metal detectors at entry points. Surveillance will be strengthened through CCTV cameras, video and still cameras, and drones. Observation towers will be installed, rooftops will be monitored, and special forces will also be deployed, he added. To prevent eve-teasing, mugging, and pickpocketing, plainclothes teams will remain active, while additional monitoring systems will be in place to control unauthorised hawker entry. Organised by the Faculty of Fine Arts of Dhaka University, Baishakhi Shobhajatra will begin at 9am and follow a route from the faculty through Shahbagh, TSC, and Doel Chattar before returning to the starting point. The entire procession route will remain under strict security and all programmes must conclude by 6pm, said DMP Acting Commissioner Md Sarwar on Sunday .

A total of 22,065 farmers have been initially selected to receive ‘Farmers Cards’ as the government is set to launch the distribution programme on Pahela Baishakh,  said Agriculture Minister Mohammed Aminur Rashid on Sunday. The programme will be formally inaugurated at Shaheed Maruf Stadium in Tangail, he said at a press conference at the Information Department conference room at Secretariat. He said the initiative will be launched on a pre-piloting basis in 11 blocks under 11 upazilas across 10 districts in all eight divisions. Distribution of the cards will begin simultaneously in most of the selected blocks on the day while the programme in Aranyapur block of Adarsha Sadar upazila in Cumilla will start on April 17, 2026. At the beginning of the programme, tribute was paid to former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and martyred President Ziaur Rahman. The minister said information of 22,065 farmers was collected as of April 11. Of them, 2,246 are landless, 9,458 marginal, 8,967 small, 1,303 medium and 91 large farmers. Around 93.7 percent of the selected beneficiaries are landless, marginal and small farmers, he said. Under the pre-piloting phase, each farmer will receive Tk 2,500 in annual cash assistance through the card. The card will function as a banking debit card, and accounts have been opened in farmers’ names through Sonali Bank, he added. Through the card, farmers will be able to purchase fertiliser, seeds, fish feed and livestock feed, as well as access agricultural loans, subsidies, weather forecasts, market prices, training, pest control advice and agricultural insurance services. If the pre-pilot phase proves successful, a pilot programme will be launched in 15 upazilas by August 2026, with plans to expand the distribution nationwide and develop an integrated farmer database within the next four years, the minister added.  

The Ministry of Home Affairs has taken strict security measures across the country to ensure peaceful and joyful celebrations of  Pahela Baishakh (Bangla New Year) as well as the New Year festivities of Chakma, Marma, Tripura, Garo, and other ethnic minority communities. The decision was taken at a law-and-order meeting on Thursday at the conference room of the Ministry of Home Affairs at Secretariat presided over by Senior Secretary Monzur Morshed Chowdhury, said Faisal Hasan, Public Relations Officer (Director) of the Ministry of Home Affairs. Monzur Morshed said the administration and law enforcement agencies would take all necessary measures to ensure that this festival, which reflects Bengali culture and heritage, is safe. All events nationwide including those at Ramna Park, Suhrawardy Udyan, Dhaka University, Hatirjheel, and Rabindra Sarobar are required to conclude by 6 pm and no new entry will be allowed after 5 pm. Tight security will be enforced for the Faculty of Fine Arts’ Baishakhi Procession at Dhaka University, where participants will not be allowed to wear masks, though masks carried for display must not cover faces. Entry to the procession must occur at the start, and no one will be allowed to join midway. For safety reasons, flying sky lanterns, fireworks, gas balloons, and vuvuzela horns are completely prohibited and motorbike or car racing within 300 feet of event venues is strictly banned. Dog squads will conduct sweeps at Ramna Botmul, Dhaka University, and other key locations while watchtowers, CCTV cameras, and sufficient archways will be installed at strategic points. Nationwide undercover police in plain clothes and mobile courts under executive magistrates will operate to prevent eve-teasing, snatching, and pickpocketing. Fire service vehicles, ambulances, and medical teams will be deployed at major venues, and diving teams will be on duty at Ramna Lake to prevent accidents. For security reasons, Dhaka University TSC Metro Rail station will remain closed on Pahela Baishakh and from 7 pmon 13 April, vehicles without university stickers will not be allowed to enter the campus area. The public has been requested not to carry bags, backpacks, diyas, or lighters, and parents are advised to carry identification notes for children. Officials from the Home Ministry and other relevant ministries, along with representatives from the police, RAB, BGB, and various intelligence agencies, attended the meeting.  

The traditional procession organised by the Faculty of Fine Arts of Dhaka University marking Pahela Baishakh, the first day of Bangla New Year, has been renamed ‘Baishakhi Shobhajatra’, Cultural Affairs Minister Nitai Roy Chowdhury announced on Sunday. He made the announcement while talking to reporters after a meeting on the preparations to celebrate Pahela Baishakh and Baishabi, the major New Year festival of ethnic minority groups, at his ministry. During the tenure of the immediate past interim government, the procession was renamed ‘Ananda Shobhajatra’. Before that, it was known as ‘Mangal Shobhajatra’.

After introducing the ‘Family Card’, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will now formally launch the government’s ‘Farmers’ Card’ pilot programme on April 14, the day of Pahela Baishakh, fulfilling his election pledge. The decision was finalised at a meeting on the ‘Farmers’ Card’ held at Secretariat on Sunday at 11am with the Prime Minister in the chair, said PM’s Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Rumon. The ‘Farmers’ Card’ will initially be launched on a pilot basis under which marginal and most vulnerable farmers will receive certain benefits similar to those offered through the Family Card. The card will facilitate the delivery of subsidies, fertilisers, seeds and pesticides directly to farmerrs with a planned initial subsidy of around Tk 2,500 for eligible landless, marginal and small farmers. Agriculture Minister Aminur Rashid and State Minister for Fisheries and Livestock Sultan Salauddin Tuku were present at the meeting. Prime Minister’s Adviser on Finance and Planning Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, Adviser on Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Rehan Asif Asad, and State Minister for Local Government, Cooperatives and Rural Development Mir Shahe Alam, among others, also attended the meeting. Before the 13th parliamentary election, BNP pledged to introduce the ‘Family Card’ aimed at empowering women by providing a monthly allowance and the ‘Farmers’ Card’ for marginalised farmers. On March 10, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman formally launched the government’s ‘Family Card’ programme for women-led households, fulfilling his election pledge to support women’s empowerment, economic inclusion and social justice. Just three weeks after the formation of the government following a massive election victory, the Prime Minister launched the Family Card at the T&T Playground, adjacent to the Korail Slum, in his constituency.

The nation is celebrating Pahela Baishakh, the first day of the Bengali New Year 1432, today (Monday) with vibrant festivities, cultural programmes and traditional enthusiasm across the country. Marking the advent of the New Year, the government has undertaken elaborate arrangements. People from all walks of life are joining in the celebrations with colourful processions, music, fairs and traditional Bengali attires. Dhaka University is marking the occasion with its customary rally, now renamed ‘Barshoboron Ananda Shobhajatra’, replacing the decades-old name ‘Mangal Shobhajatra’. The renaming was announced during a press briefing at the Faculty of Fine Arts on Friday. This year’s rally is being held under the theme ‘Noboborshe Oikotaan, Fascibader Obosaan’ (Harmony in New Year, End of Fascism), as finalised at a meeting chaired by DU Vice-Chancellor Neaz Ahmed on 24 March. Renowned cultural organisation Chhayanaut is welcoming the New Year with its 58th edition of the Pahela Baishakh celebration at Ramna Batamul in the capital. Bangla New Year: Dr Yunus for building peaceful, happy Bangladesh without discrimination Themed “Amar Mukti Aloy Aloy” (My Liberation in Light), the event began at dawn with a soul-stirring rendition of Raag Bhairavi. The two-hour programme is featuring 24 performances, including nine group songs, 12 solo renditions, and three recitations. The event is being broadcast live on Chhayanaut’s official YouTube channel, Facebook page and on Bangladesh Television (BTV). Extending greetings on this joyous occasion, Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on Sunday said that the people of Bangladesh are united in harmony despite differences in belief, religion and custom. “Tomorrow (Monday), the first day of Baishakh, symbolises this harmony. Everyone is celebrating in their own way, upholding their customs and traditions,” he said while laying the foundation stone of Sampriti Bhaban at the Dhaka International Buddhist Monastery. He emphasised that Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, Christians and all ethnic communities from the hills and plains are part of one family, bound by a rich heritage of diversity in language, culture and tradition. Preparations for ‘Ananda Shobhajatra’ nearing completion amid enthusiasm Leaders of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) have also extended heartfelt greetings on the occasion. BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman expressed his hope that the New Year would inspire the nation towards renewed aspirations and achievements. “May the warmth of Baishakh wipe away falsehood, injustice, lawlessness, and unrest,” he said in his message. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir echoed these sentiments, calling Pahela Baishakh a vibrant expression of national unity. “It is a time when animosity is set aside, and hearts are filled with hope and abundance,” he said. Throughout the country, socio-cultural organisations and educational institutions are holding cultural events, colourful rallies, and Baishakhi fairs. Business communities, especially in rural areas, are opening their traditional Halkhata (new account books), offering sweets to customers as a gesture of goodwill. The day is being observed as a public holiday.