Pahela Falgun, Valentine’s Day to be celebrated Sunday

The Bangalee nation especially the youths with their animated vigour and colourful mind will celebrate Pahela Falgun, a festival welcoming the advent of spring, on Sunday to leave a message to all that love, affection, respect and commitment should be cornerstones of removing all ills and building the nation, reports BSS.

This year the festival comes when the entire world is facing the coronavirus pandemic.

Any formal programmes marking the day will not be held at Bakultala on the premises of Fine Arts Faculty on Dhaka University (DU) campus, center point of the festival, in view of the pandemic but the people will celebrate the day informally wearing colorful dresses and floral ornaments and offering flowers to dear and near ones.

Jatiya Basanta Utsab Udjapan Parishad will arrange ‘the Jatiya Basanta Utsab 1427’ at Mukta Mancha of Suhrawardy Udyan maintaining health guidelines, which has been regularly held at the Bakultala on DU campus since 1991.

The programmes will be held in two phases – first phase from 7:00am to 10:00am and second phase from 3:30n pm to 7:00pm, said a press release.

State minister for cultural affairs KM Khalid will address the function as chief guest while cultural affairs secretary Badrul Arefin will join as special guest. Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy director general Liaquat Ali Lucky will chair it.

Besides, Shilpakala Academy will also arrange ‘Basanta Utsab-2021’at the Nandan Mancha of the academy.

Bangalees mark the spring festival on the first day of Bengali month of Falgun. It is also called Basanta Utsab. It usually falls on 13 February.

Since 2020 it is being coincided with Valentine’s Day on 14 February which has also become a major day in celebration of the festival-loving Bangalees especially the youths.

In 2019, Bangla Academy revised Bangla Calendar to match it with the Gregorian calendar aimed at observing the significant days in line with the historic background.