Fairs and Festivals of Bangladesh

Festivals are always playing a significant role in the life of the people of Bangladesh. These are the inseparable parts of Bangalee culture and tradition. There is hardly any month having no festival either social or religious. Only the major and regular festivals can be described in brief.

Pahela Baishakh

The first day of the first month of Bangla calendar is called Pahela Baishakh. The advent of Bengali New Year is immensely observed throughout the country. The Day is a public holiday. The day is observed with a colourful flavor. People arrange procession with colorful dress and flag. They love to eat the traditional ‘panta’ at Ramna Park in Dhaka. There are lots of cultural functions all over the country. People arrange tournaments, boat race, bullock race etc. Many fairs are arranged in the cities, towns and villages.

Independence Day

26th March is the Independence Day in Bangladesh. The day is the biggest state festival. The day is observed in a befitting manner. Capital city along with other cities wear a festive look. The day is a public holiday. The citizens of the cities wake up early with the booming of guns heralding the Independence Day. Citizens including government officials, political leaders, social workers, teachers, students and other general people place floral wreaths at the National Martyrs Monument at Savar. Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Bangla Academy and other socio-cultural organizations arrange cultural functions. During night the major public buildings are beautifully illuminated to give the city a festive look. Almost all the towns follow the tradition.   

21st February, the National Mourning Day and World Mother Language Day

The 21^st February is observed with due honor throughout the country to pay homage to the sacred souls of all the martyrs of Language Movement of the year 1952. There was immense bloodshed at the Central Shahid Minar area (near Dhaka Medical college hospital) to establish Bengali as a state language of then Pakistan. Almost all the subsequent movements and struggle for Independence owe to the historic Language Movement. The Shahid Minar symbolizes the sacrifices for Bangla, the mother tongue of Bangalees. The day is a public holiday. The mourning procedure begins at midnight at Dhaka with the song “Amar Vaier roktey rangano ekushey February, ami ki vulitey pari……….” (I can’t forget the day 21^st February, stained with the blood of my brother). Citizens including government officials, political leaders, social workers, teachers, students and other general people place floral wreaths at the Shahid Minar. Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Bangla Academy and other socio-cultural organizations arrange cultural functions to celebrate this day. This day has been declared as the World Mother Language day by UNESCO.

Eid-e-Miladunnabi

Eid-e-Miladunnabi is a religious festival. This day is the birth day and death day of Prophet Haztarh Muhammed (sm). Prophet was born and died on the same day on 12^th day of Rabiul Awal (Lunar Month). The day is a national holiday. National flag is flown atop public and private buildings and special good food is served in orphanages, jails and in hospitals. At night public buildings are illumined and milad mahfils (religious function and serve of food free of cost) are held.

Eid-ul-Fitr

Eid-ul-Fitr is the biggest Muslim festival observed throughout Bangladesh and throughout the world. This day is held on the following day of the Ramadan (the month of fasting). In Dhaka big congregations are held at the National Eidgah. Eid congregations are held in the eidgahs all over the country.

Eid-ul-Azha

Eid-ul-Azha is the second biggest festival of the Muslim community. It is held marking the Hajj in Mecca on the 10^th Zilhaj, the lunar month. Eid congregations are held in the Eidgahs throughout the country. Plenty of animals are sacrificed in reminiscence of Hazrat Ibrahim's (AM) preparedness for supreme sacrifice of His beloved son to Almighty Allah. The day is a public holiday.

Muharram

Muharram procession is a ceremonial mournful procession of the Muslims. A large procession is brought out from Hussaini Dalan Imambara on 10th Muharram. This festival is in the memory of the tragic martyrdom of Imam Hussain (RA) on this very day at Karbala in Iraq. There are same observations made in the country.

Durga Puja

Durga Puja is the biggest festival of the Hindu community that continues for five days. The last day is the culmination of the idol immersed in rivers. In Dhaka the big celebrations are held at Dhakeswari Temple and at the Ram Krishna Mission. Durga puja is celebrated with big pomp and grandeur all over the county. During the puja, plenty of fairs are held at many places inside and outside the cities.

Christmas

Christmas popularly called "Boro Din” (Big Day), is celebrated in a pompous manner in Dhaka and in other places in Bangladesh. Several day-long large gatherings are arranged at St. Mary's Cathedral at Ramna, Portuguese Church at Tejgaon, Church of Bangladesh (Protestant) on Johnson Road and Bangladesh Baptist Sangha at Sadarghat Dhaka. Christmas functions include illumination of churches, decorating Christmas trees, serving the Christian missionaries and other Christian festivities. This is a public holiday.

Rabindra & Nazrul Jayanti

Birth anniversary of the Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore on 25^th Baishakh (May) and that of the National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam on 11th Jaystha (May) are observed with great gaiety throughout the country. Their death anniversaries are also marked in the grand manner. Big gatherings and song sessions are organized by socio-cultural organizations to observe the days. There are day-long program in the music colleges in the country. Rabindranath Tagore is the writer of the national anthem of Bangladesh while National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam is famous as the Rebel Poet.

There are many other festivals in the country that are habitually observed by Bangalees all the year round.