<div style="text-align: justify; "><b style="font-size: 1rem;">Chhayanaut, the country’s esteemed cultural institution known for welcoming the Bengali new calendar year with its traditional flagship event on the morning of April 14,&nbsp; organised its traditional Pahela Baishakh cultural festivity at Ramna Park in the capital on Friday morning.</b><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The festivity began at 6:15 am under the Banyan tree at Ramna (Ramna Batamul), with an eight-minute rendition of the tabour-based ‘Rag Aheer Bhairav’ melody on the sarangi before mesmerising audiences with songs, recitations and more.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A total of 12 solo songs, two recitations and 10 chorus were presented at the event featuring the themes of nature, love for humanity, self-purification and patriotism, performed by esteemed artists.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Audiences from every part of the capital cued and gathered for the celebration even before dawn, singing and dancing to welcome the new Bengali calendar year heralding good tidings.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The event came to its closure with a group rendition of the national anthem.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Bangladesh Television and Bangladesh Betar live telecast the event, and Chhayanaut also streamed the festivity live on its YouTube channel was also streaming the event at https://www.youtube.com/@ChhayanautDigitalPlatform.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Strict security measures were put in place at the venue by the security enforcement unit of the government and the volunteers of the 13th Hussars Open Rover Scout Group, alongside Chhayanaut workers.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Chhayanaut, founded in 1961, has earned global fame for organising the traditional, extravagant cultural festivity of Pahela Baishakh at Ramna Park every year since the year of 1967. The only exception was in 1971, during the Liberation War of Bangladesh, and then in 2020-2021 due to the global outbreak of COVID-19. Also, this has been the second time the event got celebrated in the month of holy Ramadan.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">One of the most coveted and long-awaited festivities in Bangladesh, the traditional cultural presentation of Chhayanaut marking the Pahela Baishakh has earned its fame as one of the grandest regular cultural celebrations in the world. UNB</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>