Info minister flies kites at Sakrain festival

Information minister Hasan Mahmud flew kites at the Sakrain festival in Old Dhaka.

He participated in the festival on the Dhupkhola playground in Old Dhaka. The Dhaka Journalists’ Forum organised the event on Thursday celebrating Poush Sankranti, the end of the Bangla month, Poush.

Speaking at the event, the minister said, Sakrain is not only a festival of Old Dhaka but of entire Bangladesh. It’s a tradition of Old Dhaka as well as a part of our Bengali tradition and culture, he added.

Hasan Mahmud said children would roam around freely in the past days. Nowadays, they don’t get the chance to move around in cities. Big cities like Dhaka and Chattogram don’t have playgrounds anymore. There is hardly much opportunity to fly kites on the rooftops anymore. That’s why our young boys and girls can’t fly kites anymore, he added.

The minister said, upholding culture is very important. Celebrating the Sakrain tradition amid coronavirus is inspiring for our youths. These initiatives will help us overcome crisis, he said.

The minister called for upholding our Bengali culture and tradition. “The clutch of 'sky culture' threatens our own culture. In the past, we used to play Bangladeshi songs at the various wedding events like 'holud'. The young boys and girls would wear local costumes on these occasions.”

“Nowadays things are changing and this is a pity. Bangla songs are being replaced by Hindi songs, even English songs. Various events emulate the Hindi serial sets. These issues have hit on our culture hard. We must hold on to our own culture and traditions,” he added.

Presided over by president of the forum Shamim Siddiqui, secretary general of the forum Akter Hossain moderated the programme.

Former advisor for information affairs to the prime minister and Daily Observer editor Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, Awami League office secretary Biplab Barua, former lawmaker Sabina Akter, president of Awami League’s Dhaka district unit Benzir Ahmed, president of Awami League’s Dhaka city south unit Abu Ahammad, former president of Bangladesh Chhatra League’s Jagannath unity Sariful Islam, Sakil Ahmed and vice-president of the forum Labonnoy Bhuiyan, among others, were present.