Sheikh Arif Bulbon :The Bangla New Year, commonly known as Pohela Boishakh, is one of the largest youth festivals of the country. Returning to the old, to the traditional, to the flavour of our heritage, the youth look to the new and celebrate the festival all over the country. People from all ages, groups, races, and religions celebrate it as a day close to the very heart of the nation. To fill this day with colour and life for others, the students of the Faculty of Fine Arts of Dhaka University have made a very special contribution. Since 1989, the students and teachers alike have made different arrangements to ensure a festival atmosphere for all who choose to attend. In fact, preparations for the upcoming Pohela Boishakh 1421 are going on in full swing as the first day of the Bengali month Boishakh will be celebrated on April 14. Every year, the Mongol Shobhajatra (holly procession) is arranged. It starts from the Charukala (Faculty of Fine Arts) premises and ends there, decorated by different masks, festoons, models and banners. This year’s Mongol Shobhajatra strives to symbolically represent people’s struggle against evil forces to establish a modern and liberal nation, said the organisers. There will also be some other artefacts – jora pakhi, crazy ox, rickshaws, crocodiles, flying birds, warrior on elephant’s back, horses, tiger chasing war criminals and clenched hand to express present political situation, Bengali culture and tradition. On faculty premises, the students were seen working on paintings, traditional dolls, masks and musket. The prices of paintings range from Tk 500 to Tk 15,000, while prices of painted sora (a clay pot decorated with paintings of animals) start at Tk 150-Tk 500. Paper birds costs Tk 30-Tk 100, masks Tk 500-Tk 1,000, Raja-Rani masks Tk 5,000-Tk 15,000, dolls Tk 50-Tk 200, pakha Tk 100, t-shirts Tk 250, elephants and horses at Tk 50-Tk 200. Zainul Shishu Niketan, also known as School Ghor at the Faculty of Fine Arts of Dhaka University, will also be decorated with colourful paintings of birds, elephants, horses and other animals, students of the fine arts who are taking preparations to welcome Pohela Boishakh. Therefore, on April 13 evening, there will be a Choitro Songkranti programme is scheduled to be held at Bakultala of Charuakala where the students will perform cultural programme. Meanwhile, there will also be a puppet show at the faculty throughout the Pohela Boishakh celebrations.
