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

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will address the nation on Wednesday evening, marking the Bengali new year 1429 (Pahela Baishakh). “The Prime Minister will deliver her speech at 7:30pm on the occasion of the Bengali new year 1429,” PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim told UNB. Read: Hasina on board with other leaders for Guterres-led crisis management group

The Dhaka University (DU) authorities has announced a roadmap to celebrate Pahela Baishakh, the first day of Bengali New Year, with traditional 'Mangal Shobhajatra' on April 14 after a two- year break. The flagship procession from Dhaka University’s Faculty of Fine Arts (FFA) which was inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2016, was not held in 1427 due to the emergence of the COVID-19 global pandemic, and the FFA organized a symbolic procession on its premises in the following year due to lockdown during the period. Read:Sights, sounds of Pahela Baishakh to return to Ramna after two years The details regarding this year's celebration were announced in a meeting chaired by DU Vice Chancellor Prof Akhtaruzzaman, held at the Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate building on Sunday. At the meeting, it was announced that 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 parading the 'Memory Eternal' monument premises of the university, the Shobhajatra will end at TSC premises on the campus. The meeting committee also announced that the festivity must be concluded within 5 pm and public entrance would be restricted on the campus area after that. Evaluating the present context of COVID-19 in the country as well as the month of Holy Ramadan, the authorities requested the citizens to limit the public gatherings in this year's procession. Alongside requesting everyone to maintain proper hygiene, the authorities announced that festive masks and bags cannot be carried on campus. However, masks made by the Faculty of Fine Arts can be carried. Furthermore, it was declared that playing and selling of the Vuvuzela flute at this year's event will be strictly prohibited. On the day of Pahela Baishakh, movement of the procession-goers and others via the gate of Suhrawardy Udyan behind the Raju sculpture will be restricted. However, the FFA entrance in front of the Suhrawardy Udyan, the adjoining gate of the Engineering Institute and the entrance of Suhrawardy Udyan in front of the Bangla Academy will remain open for the citizens.  Vehicles without DU authorized stickers will not be allowed on campus after 7 pm on April 13, as well as on the day of the Pahela Baishakh. Residents on the campus area can use the road to Nilkhet and Palashi intersection for their transportation using their own vehicles. The committee requested police to install CCTV cameras and archways on the campus to ensure the security inside the campus area during the festivities. Read:Longest-running Amar Ekushey Book Fair ends; Tk52.50 crore books sold Mobile public toilets will be set up in the area adjacent to Haji Muhammad Muhsin Hall, the area adjacent to TSC (Student-Teacher Center) the area around Doyel Chattar and Curzon Hall, the committee said at the meeting. Now cemented as one of the most vivid and significant additions to the Bengali New Year celebration in the country, the DU Faculty of Fine Arts have been celebrating the traditional 'Mangal Shobhajatra' since 1989.

The pomp and colour associated with Pahela Baishakh was absent as people celebrated the event virtually for the second consecutive year amid restrictions imposed to contain the transmission of coronavirus. The first day of Bangla calendar also saw the country shattering its single-day Covid-19 fatalities record. With a lockdown in place, festivities and cultural events to mark the Bangla New Year were all held virtually. Symbolic ‘Mangal Shobhajatra-1428’ The marquee events of the day – the traditional ‘Borsho-Boron’ programme by Chhayanaut and the Mangal Shobhajatra parade by the Faculty of Fine Arts, Dhaka University – have all been cancelled. Also read: After lives & livelihoods: Covid strikes at culture, with Pahela Baishakh forced indoors Both Chhayanaut and FFA broadcast pre-recorded programmes on national TV. The Faculty of Fine Arts pre-recorded a unique, symbolic Mangal Shobhajatra for 1428 with the participation of the State Minister for Cultural Affairs and fewer than 20 people. They showcased their banner and 100 prop items made by students and teachers, including face shields and masks in the symbolic procession. Online events Renowned cultural organisations and institutions including Chhayanaut, the Faculty of Fine Arts, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Liberation War Museum Bangladesh and many others have observed the day with online festivities and programmes. Also read: Chhayanaut cancels Pahela Baishakh festivities at Ramna, goes back to virtual celebration with BTV Chhayanaut had initial plans to arrange and record their programme at the Ramna Park without a live audience at the dawn of April 14, or pre-record the programme before that. Instead, they broadcast this year’s festivity through a special collaborative programme with Bangladesh Television (BTV) and also on its YouTube channel Chhayanaut Digital - Platform. Shilpakala Academy also broadcast a live webinar and cultural programme on its official Facebook page and YouTube channel, which was joined by former Cultural Affairs Minister and eminent thespian Asaduzzaman Noor. Liberation War Museum and Wrishiz Shilpi Goshthi also held online programmes on Facebook on the occasion. Also read: Google celebrates Pahela Baishakh with new doodle This year, April 14 also marks the first day of the holy month of Ramadan in Bangladesh and some other Muslim countries in the world. On the occasion, President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages greeting the countrymen and all Bangla-speaking people across the globe. Prime Minister Hasina urged everyone to follow health guidelines and celebrate Pahela Baishakh at home, in the wake of a surge in Covid-19 cases.

The country will be forced to abandon its traditional Bengali New Year celebration on April 14 for a second consecutive year, as the local outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic witnesses a resurgence, forcing the festive occasion of Pahela Baishakh to be welcomed and celebrated once again through online platforms and symbolic programmes like the last year. Although millions are bound to be disappointed by the turn of events, most of them would not be surprised that it came to such a pass, where the year 1428 in the Bengali calendar will be ushered in by most people indoors, same as 1427 was a year ago. With its celebration of the changing of the seasons, rooted in nature through its relation with the spring harvest, and rife with symbolism drawn from the region's flora and fauna, Pahela Baishakh is an essentially outdoor event. No one can look forward to recreating any of its traditional magic in an indoor setting. Besides, Covid restrictions mean very few can even gather under the same roof to be with their near and dear ones at least. Renowned cultural organizations and institutions including Chhayanaut, the Faculty of Fine Arts (FFA) of Dhaka University, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA), Liberation War Museum Bangladesh (LWM) and more will observe the day with online-based festivities and programmes, to welcome the new calendar year 1428. Also read: People’s lives come first: PM Hasina The marquee events of the dawn are the traditional Borsho-Boron programme by Chhayanaut at Ramna Batamul in the capital and the Mangal Shobhajatra parade of the Faculty of Fine Arts (FFA), Dhaka University, which will not be arranged live this year. However, both Chhayanaut and FFA have informed UNB that they are going to showcase pre-recorded programmes on national televisions in the morning. First observed in 1989 by FFA as a colourful procession celebrating the Bengali New Year with the participation of people from all walks of life, the annual Mangal Shobhajatra has received the recognition of UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage on November 30, 2016. With the theme "Kal Bhoyankorer Beshe, Abar Oi Ashe Sundor", FFA was forwarding to celebrate this year's procession and started preparation for making props on April 6, as it could not organize the parade last year due to the lockdown and COVID-19 restrictions. Also read: Bangladesh’s complete lockdown set to begin on Apr 14; notification issued Unfortunately, plans for organizing the large procession this year had to be cut down, and instead of cancelling the event, FFA has pre-recorded a symbolic programme at the premises of the Faculty of Fine Arts. "Initially, the Dhaka University authorities decided to arrange a symbolic event on FFA premises on the day of Pahela Baishakh, as it has always been culturally very significant and this year marks the Golden Jubilee of our Independence. As per the government's directive regarding the lockdown restrictions to curve the ongoing pandemic, we decided and pre-recorded a symbolic Mangal Shobhajatra for 1428 on a very limited scale at the premises of FFA with the participation of our State Minister for Cultural Affairs and fewer than 20 people, showcasing our banner and 100 prop items made by our students and teachers including face shields and masks," Nisar Hossain, Dean of the FFA, told UNB on Tuesday. The press and electronic media were not allowed to broadcast the recording, however, The DU authority will provide a video and press elements of the programme to the press and electronic media tomorrow, he informed. Also read: Covid-19 in Bangladesh: 69 more die, 6,028 infected On Monday, Chhayanaut general secretary Laisa Ahmed Lisa stated, “As we could not celebrate Pahela Baishakh 1427 through arranging our traditional cultural festivity under the banyan tree at Ramna Park, we had been preparing and rehearsing to organize the festivity this year without the crowd at the venue and also we had plans to pre-record the programme if the situation restricts us to arrange on that day. Sadly, as we have been observing the recent surge of the pandemic and also as some of our artists are being infected with COVID-19 -  we have decided to broadcast this year’s festivity through a special collaborative programme with Bangladesh Television (BTV) as last year." “The programme will broadcast from 7 am to 8 am, and it will be showcasing a compilation of some of the new and previous performances of Chhayanaut artists, and this year we are featuring performances focusing on the Golden Jubilee of our glorious Independence. Aside from BTV, Chhayanaut will also broadcast the programme on its YouTube Channel Chhayanaut Digital - Platform," she added. Also read: Chhayanaut cancels Pahela Baishakh festivities at Ramna, goes back to virtual celebration with BTV Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) will broadcast a live webinar and cultural programme on its official Facebook page and YouTube channel from 11 pm onwards, which is scheduled to be joined by former Cultural Affairs Minister and eminent thespian Asaduzzaman Noor as its chief guest. BSA Director General Liaquat Ali Lucky will preside over the virtual event, which will also be joined by prominent eductator and writer prof Syed Manzoorul Islam as the speaker and renowned cultural personalities including Nazrul Sangeet maestro Khairul Anam Shakil, folk singer Akramul Islam, Rabindra Sangeet singer Lily Islam, performing students from the Govt Music College and more. Liberation War Museum (LWM) will also broadcast a virtual programme on its official Facebook page at 11 am. Also read: Pahela Baishakh celebrated without outdoor programmes Wrishiz Shilpi Goshthi will arrange an online programme on Facebook as well. It will be broadcast at 9 am on Pahela Baishakh, according to legendary folk icon Fakir Alamgir, President of the cultural group. Earlier, the government restricted all sorts of outdoor celebrations of Pahela Baishakh and asked to organize virtual events for online celebrations. Therefore, all the major outdoor celebrations of Pahela Baishakh are called off for the second consecutive year due to the COVID-19 outbreak. This year, April 14 also marks the first day of Ramadan in Bangladesh and some other Muslim countries in the world.

The government has asked everyone not to hold any mass gatherings and outdoor celebrations during Pahela Baishakh, the first day of the Bangla calendar, for the second time in a row to curb the spread of Covid-19. However, the Ministry of Cultural Affairs called on the people to welcome the Bengali New Year 1428 on April 14 with online festivities. Pahela Baishakh celebrations form an integral part of Bengali culture since they began over six centuries back. A notification issued by the ministry on Wednesday said, "In line with the instructions issued by the Cabinet Division, following the current Covid-19 situation, it is requested that events be organised on online platforms if possible. Mass gatherings should  be avoided at any cost." Also read: Bangladesh shatters its all-time records of daily Covid cases All programmes had also been cancelled last year to avoid mass gatherings to curb the spread of Covid-19. Bangladesh is now seeing a spike in Covid-19 cases and deaths for the last few weeks.  The country saw the highest number of daily infections with 7,626 new cases reported until early Wednesday since the outbreak began in March last year.  Also, the country recorded 63 more deaths from the virus in the past 24 hours, according to the Directorate General of Health Services. Also read: Pahela Baishakh being celebrated without outdoor programmes Although the government enforced a 7-day lockdown from Monday restricting people's movement, shutting shops, markets and suspending operations of public transport, people took it lightly and are moving around freely defying the restriction, posing risks of more transmission. Also, the movement of city buses resumed on Wednesday, two days after the enforcement of the lockdown, as the government has allowed public transport services in city corporation areas. However, hospitals are struggling to provide treatment to the increasing number of coronavirus patients with their limited resources.

Online marketplace Daraz has begun its "Baishakhi Mela" campaign for the fifth time in a row. With the slogan "Jaago Bangali Borshoboroner Anonde," the campaign will continue until April 14, Daraz said Wednesday. Various deals have been offered in multiple categories ranging from fashion and beauty and health to groceries, television and smartphones. Also read: Daraz organises roadshow to celebrate 50 years of Bangladesh's Independence Also, there will be special discounts on the Baisakhi collection like saree, punjabi, and other traditional products.  The campaign offers several attractive deals, including double taka voucher, mega deals, guess and get it free, Tk1428 deals, free shipping, and mega voucher. Also read: Daraz brings Hero Bangladesh on board Also, new customers of Daraz will enjoy exclusive discounts on their orders.  Daraz Bangladesh Managing Director Syed Mostahidal Hoq said, "The Bengali New Year is a significant day for the people of Bangladesh and also all Bengalis living across the globe." Also read: Daraz acquires food delivery Start-up HungryNaki "To enhance the excitement of this day, we are thrilled to bring our new campaign – Boishakhi Mela. It will create an opportunity for customers to heighten their shopping experience by grabbing exceptional deals across a vast range of products." The campaign has been co-sponsored by Bata, Dettol, Lizol, Studiox, Sunsilk, and Xiaomi, read a press release.