How a decades-old cultural programme continues to define the first day of the Bangla New Year

Dhaka is set to come alive with music and celebration this Pahela Baishakh, as multiple concerts across the capital prepare to welcome the Bengali New Year with a festive mix of pop, band music and youth-centred performances.

Dhaka University is set to celebrate the Bengali New Year 1433 on Tuesday with elaborate programmes, as preparations across the campus have been completed in a festive atmosphere.

Celebrate Pahela Baishakh globally as the Bangladeshi diaspora honors the Bengali New Year through vibrant cultural traditions. From Bristol to Oregon, communities unite for Mangal Shobhajatra, traditional bhorta, and folk music to preserve their heritage.

Sales of clothing items ahead of Pahela Baishakh, the first day of the Bengali new year and the second largest annual shopping season after Eid, have rebounded this year after two subdued seasons marked by overlapping festivities and political uncertainty

The press conference closed with “Baishakh Mashe Aiso Bondhu,” returning to the language of invitation.

As the sun rises on the first day of the Bengali calendar, Bangladesh transforms into a vibrant canvas of crimson red and white.

My earliest memory of Baishakhi Mela takes me back to the late 1970s. I was riding a rickshaw with my father to Bangla Academy, clutching green glass bangles and little terracotta toys.

Across five days, the programme will feature a wide range of folk and musical forms—jarigan, pat-er gaan, baul songs, puthi recitations, kabigan, gazi songs, gambhira, jalalgeeti, and bhawaiya—alongside ensemble dance performances by various cultural groups.

Universities across Bangladesh celebrate Pahela Baishakh.

The Bangla calendar has turned a new year and bidding goodbye to 1431, we welcome 1432, bringing with it fresh energy, renewed hopes, and a collective dream of new beginnings. 

The nation joyfully welcomes the Bangla New Year 1432 today

Pahela Baishakh, the first day of the Bangla calendar, is being celebrated with music, colourful rallies, and festive events.

As the crimson sun rises on the first day of Baishakh, its golden rays spill over a land alive with colour, music, and tradition

On the first day of the Bangla New Year, every nook and corner of Bangladesh is brightened.

Thousands of Bangalees ushered in Bengali Year 1432 at Ramna Batamul on Monday morning, as Chhayanaut’s iconic Pahela Baishakh celebration marked its 58th edition with renewed hope, harmony, and heritage.

It is essential to understand how rural communities establish their cultural relationships with the ecosystems across different seasons.

“Let it be this new year’s resolution that we build a new Bangladesh free of discrimination,” urged the chief adviser.

As the sun rose over Dhaka, Chhayanaut’s Pahela Baishakh celebration for the Bengali year 1432 began at Ramna Batamul. The theme of Chhayanaut's Pahela Baishakh celebration this year is "Amar Mukti Aloy Aloy" (my freedom lies in light). Through this theme, Chhayanaut aims to convey a message of hope, resilience, and renewal.

As the nation now stands on the cusp of renewal, Pahela Baishakh 1432 arrives at a time when the people of Bangladesh are eager to reclaim their cultural voice—seeking a deeper connection to its identity, heritage, and hope. For centuries, it has been an occasion of collective celebration, resilience, and unity.