Feature: Hundreds of thousands pack Bangladesh capitalparks to celebrate Bengali New Year 1423

Bengali New Year means Bangladesh capital Dhaka's lash green parks are full of people from all walk of life celebrating the day.

This is year's Bengali New Year was no different as hundreds of thousands of people gathered in parts of the cities to enjoy cultural ceremonies, fun, food and games as part of celebrating new year.

Almost all the parks, playgrounds and other places of public entertainment were found jam packed as people irrespective of cast, color, sex and religion rushed to welcome the Bangla year 1423 as soon as the sun rose on the horizon on Thursday.

Bengalis usually start the day with the traditional simple breakfast of panta-bhat (leftover rice soaked in water) and fried hilsa fish.

Formal celebration ceremonies of the Bengali New Year began at sunrise when people wearing new dresses gathered in the main venues around the Dhaka University where the country's most reputed cultural organization, Chayanut, holds performance which starts with important Rabindranath Tagore's song "eso he boishakh eso eso (Come, come, come O Boishakh come upon us)."

Braving the scorching heat of summer, thousands of people wearing traditional dresses, mostly students of colleges and universities, also joined a colorful procession - the Mangal Shobha Jatra - to welcome the New Year with good spirits.

Ratan Rahman Mahi who has come from Keraniganj on the outskirts of capital Dhaka to join the procession said," this is my first new year after my marriage. We had a lot of funs. We are visiting lot of new year celebration programs in places. Wish you all good luck. Happy new year to you all."

Sadia Sharmin, a housewife, said, "I have come to celebrate new year here at Dhaka University campus with children, relatives and friends. We did huge amusement activities. This is culture of our Bangladesh. The new year day celebration remains incomplete if we don't come here at Dhaka University, a key venue for new year celebration. All Bangladesh people irrespective of religions celebrate this new year festival."

Al Amin Miah, a service holder said, "We are very glad to get new year bonus for the first time this year. We're celebrating new year in a very good manner this time now. We are really are very happy."

The procession carried large symbolic figures of owl, tortoise, tiger and elephant all made of bamboo.

Students from the university's Fine Arts Institute made figurines of rickshaws, oxen, dragons, crocodiles, flying birds, warriors on elephant's back, horses and tigers chasing evil spirits which they will use in the parade.

In Bangladesh, Pohela Boishakh, or the first day of the New Year, is a national holiday.

Boishakhi Fairs are organized in many parts of Dhaka and elsewhere in the country.

The lifestyle of rural Bengal is showcased in almost all these fairs which also stage traditional folk songs and plays.

Moguhal Emperor Akbar introduced the Bangla calendar year and the celebration of Pahela Baishakh, marking the advent of Bengali New Year, which is now considered as an integral part of the Bengali's cultural heritage and tradition.

Traditionally, traders and shopkeepers open "halkhata" (new account register) on the day and serve sweetmeats to clients. Slowly this non-communal festival became an integral part of the Bangalee culture with people irrespective of their religion, sect and creed celebrating the day as one nation.

The Mughal Dynasty ruled most of the Indian subcontinent for three centuries (1526-1707).

The Bengali New Year coincides with the mid-April New Year in Cambodia and a number of countries in the Indian subcontinent that include parts of India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia told journalists Monday that stringent measures will be put in place to prevent any disturbance in the festivities of the Bengali New Year which falls on April 14.

According to him, there will be three control rooms, a number of observation towers, many closed circuit television cameras and check posts in the strategically important places including main venue of the festival at Dhaka University premises.

Sources said some 10,000 security persons including policemen, elite force Rapid Action Battalion and SWAT (Special Weapons And Tactics) have been deployed to ensure security. Endit