200 band stars to sing in Pahela Boishakh’s procession

Entertainment Report :

The upcoming Pahela Boishakh and Chaitra Sankranti celebrations will be a bold affirmation of Bangladesh’s cultural inclusivity with active participation from communities across the country.
It was announced Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, noted filmmaker and the Cultural Affairs Adviser
on Wednesday.

In two back-to-back press briefings held today at the National Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) and later at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka, the Cultural Adviser outlined the government’s plans for this year’s festivities describing them as a deeper journey into cultural harmony.

He said that the Ministry of Cultural Affairs is prioritising cultural healing and inclusiveness, aiming to restore the unity that once defined the nation’s vibrant cultural fabric. He noted that the ministry is working both directly and indirectly to ensure that significant cultural and religious events are celebrated with equal respect by all communities.

Farooki declared that this year’s Bengali New Year celebrations would bring together not just Bengali citizens, but also 27 ethnic communities from across the country.

As part of this inclusive initiative, 12 districts will host traditional Sadhu Melas, while Suhrawardy Udyan in Dhaka will stage a grand concert featuring ethnic musical bands such as F Minor (Garo), Larong (Marma), Iman (Tripura), Unity (Khasi), and Invocation (Chakma), performing alongside Bengali bands including Miles, Warfaze, Lalon, Vikings, AvoidRafa, and Dalchhut.

Dhaka will also see a range of other events: daylong programmes at Shilpakala Academy, Chhayanaut’s annual musical gathering at Charukola, Shurer Dhara’s performance at Rabindra Sarobar, and the iconic Mongal Shobhajatra (termed as ‘Shobhajatra’ at the briefing) by Dhaka University’s Faculty of Fine Arts.

This year’s ‘Shobhajatra’ will include a segment dedicated to solidarity with Palestine, where musicians will carry the Palestinian flag and sing songs of resistance, especially the song ‘From the river to sea, Palestine will be free’.

A drone show, financed by the Chinese Embassy, will be held under the theme ‘New Bangladesh in New Year’, and Bangla Academy will host a fair as part of the national celebration.

Farooki added that he will personally attend the Fagua Utsab with tea garden
workers in Sylhet to honour their cultural traditions. Emphasising the broader humanitarian message of the celebrations, he urged the nation not to forget about the 1.2 million Rohingyas currently residing in Bangladesh, or the genocide taking place in Palestine.