BRAC University celebrated the arrival of Bangla New Year 1432 with vibrant festivities on Pahela Baishakh, the first day of the Bangla calendar.
The celebration, held at the university's Merul Badda campus in Dhaka on Tuesday (15 April), featured music and traditional snacks. The week-long festivities kicked off and will continue until April 22, culminating in a colourful Shovajatra, a fair, and cultural performances by students, said a press release.
The auditorium and its entrance were adorned with traditional motifs that showcased the vibrant festivities of rural areas, complemented by buntings in a myriad of colors. Meanwhile, students, faculty, and staff embraced the spirit of the celebration, wearing colorful attire and festive chaplets.
Students of Residential Semester, which takes place at Savar, painted ‘alpona’ on floors. They also organized a cultural program and set up a fair selling handicrafts.
At the Merul Badda campus, members of band Baula rendered soulful folk songs while the attendees, including heads of different schools, departments and units, were served traditional food, it added.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Syed Ferhat Anwar inaugurated the celebrations, pointing out that the festivities have become a defining feature and a powerful symbol of Bengali cultural identity.
Registrar David Dowland and Mohammad Khairul Basher, Director, Office of Communications, also spoke on the occasion.