Bangladesh celebrates Bengali New Year with color, joy

2015.04.16

Women dance at Bangabandhu International Conference Center in Dhaka. [BenarNews]

People of all ages come out to the streets to celebrate in Dhaka. [BenarNews]

A procession in Dinajpur, in northern Bangladesh, includes an elephant. [BenarNews]

Marma tribal children dance at Khagrachori, in southern Bangladesh. [BenarNews]

Marma tribal women dance in Khagrachori, southern Bangladesh. [BenarNews]

Thousands of people participated in a procession with a colorful symbol of goodwill at the capital city Dhaka . [BenarNews]

Animal floats created by students at the Art Institute of Dhaka University enliven the celebration. [BenarNews]

Men perform a stick dance in the streets of Maymanshing city in central Bangladesh. [BenarNews]

Students enjoy the festival at the Art Institute of Dhaka University. [Benar News]

Bangladesh welcomed the Bengali New Year 1422 on Tuesday. People all around the country celebrated “Pohela Boishakh” with colorful dress, parades, and music and dance. Early in the morning, in Dhaka’s Ramna Park, a huge chorus sang the historic “Esho he Boishakh esho esho” (“Most Welcome First Day of the New Year”), set to words by the Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore. The day-long celebration was a showcase of the varied cultures of Bangladesh and the country’s largest secular festival.