Shawdesh desk:

People across the country, particularly youths, will celebrate Pahela Falgun, the first day of spring and the Valentine’s Day, a day to express feelings of love, today in a colourful manner.

As per the new Bengali calendar, the first six months of Bangla year have 31 days, and the last six months of the year have a length of 30 days, except for the month Falgun. In that way, Pahela Falgun has coincided with Valentine’s Day for the second consecutive year.

Celebrations of the two special occasions together will leave a message to all that everyone should make a commitment to remove all ills being filled with love, affection and respect for each other.

At the end of the dry winter, spring, the king of all seasons, comes to colour the nature. A combination of new leaves and flowers is seen all around. Spring is a favorite season for every Bangalee.

The spring has repeatedly appeared in the poems and art works with different colours and forms. All the people love to be bathed in the air of spring and enjoy breathing in fragrance of spring flowers.

Youths wearing Bashonti (bright yellow) panjabis and girls attired in Bashonti sarees will come out of their houses to celebrate the day with their loved ones and create a remarkable memories.

Like the last year, no formal programme will be arranged at Bakultala on the premises of Fine Arts Faculty at Dhaka University (DU), the main venue of the festival, due to the ongoing pandemic.

Every year Jatiya Bashanta Utsab Udjapon Parishad (national spring festival celebration council) organises a cultural programme to welcome the first day of spring.

This time, however, Pahela Falgun will be celebrated on a limited scale, said Manzar Chowdhury Sweet, general secretary of the parishad.

“This time the spring festival will be held on the open space of historic Suhrawardy Udyan on a limited scale from 7:30am to 10:00am,” he added.

Earlier, Bashanta Utsab would be celebrated at Old Dhaka, Uttara and Dhanmondi.

Yet clad in Bashonti sarees and panjabis, youths and girls will visit Dhaka University campus, Ramna Park, Suhrawardy Udyan, Rabindra Sarobar, Dhanmondi Lake, Hatirjheel and different other places in the capital.

City markets were seen busy with selling colourful panjabees and sarees and other traditional dresses for the last few days.  The Valentine’s Day will be celebrated in Bangladesh as elsewhere across the world.

Though Valentine’s Day is a western culture, it has a special appeal to the young generation of the country. Various programmes will be arranged for having unvarnished and pure entertainment.

Love birds wearing red panjabis and sarees and salwars will celebrate the day in different parts of the country. In the capital, they will particularly be seen on Dhaka University campus in an atmosphere of fun, frolic and festivities.