Bashanta welcomed

The city turned to a festive mood on Wednesday as thousands of youths in colourful attires and flowers in hands celebrated the first day of Bashanta (spring), the season of beauty and resurrection, which has been glorified in poems and songs as symbol of love and inspiration.
Celebrating the day various cultural organisations presented romantic songs, people’s songs, poems and dance in different venues. Presentations of patriotic songs and awareness generating poems added a new dimension in this year’s Bashanta celebrations: patriotic songs and poems have been presented to express solidarity with the ongoing protests by the youths at Shahbagh demanding capital punishment of the war criminals.
As part of the daylong Bashanta celebration programme organised by Jatio Bashanta Utjapon Parishad, various cultural organisations performed music, dance and recitations highlighting the season at two venues- Bakultala at faculty of fine arts at DU and Rabindrasarobar at Dhanmondi.
The day’s event began with the tune of a melodious violin recital early in the morning at Bakultala. Artistes of Surer Dhara and Dhrubotan presented songs glorified spring. The resurrection of nature was successfully transported in the colourful dance recitals presented by dance troupes such as Nrityam, Sreezon Chhonde, Nataraj produced dances to amuse the youths.
Recitation artistes like Kazi Arif, Shimul Mustafa and Shafiuddin Ahmed presented awareness generating poems to express their support for the Shahbag movement.
The evening session of the daylong Bashanta celebrations was held at the Rabindrasarobar where songs of spring and protest had been presented by various cultural organisations.
Thousands of people enjoyed the programme as they wait eagerly the whole year for spring festival with new hopes and aspirations. ‘To be renewed in and with the spring, we must ensure that the war criminals get due punishment’, said Mamunur Rashid, participant at the programme at Bakultala, said.
Mobile operator Banglalink sponsored Bashanta Utshab-1419 organised by the Parishad.
Moreover, Dhaka University students presented music, dance and recitation glorifying the beauty of spring at TSC of the university.