Welcoming the New Year is a cultural and social tradition observed by various communities around the world. These celebrations play a crucial role in shaping their collective identity and highlighting their unique characteristics. For Bangalees, the celebration of the New Year—Pahela Baishakh—is such a tradition.
This celebration is not merely about ushering in a new year. It is also about bidding farewell to the old year and observing certain social customs. Notable among these are Chaitra Sankranti and Haal Khata (a traditional ledger-clearing ceremony). Both in urban and rural areas, organising Baishakhi melas (fairs) have been part of a long-standing heritage. In earlier times, the last day of the year was marked with the preparation of special foods to make the day memorable. Preparations would begin to welcome the New Year.
Pahela Baishakh, as a New Year celebration, has become a universal festival in our society. Despite its widespread nature, the way people from different communities express and perceive this celebration varies. Traditionally in our society, it was common to mark the first day of the year with a feast of both simple and rich foods, driven by the hope that the entire year would be equally prosperous.
As our interaction with the wider world increased, especially during college and university years, the colour and tone of Baishakh celebrations began to evolve. Wearing new panjabis, waking early, and enjoying a breakfast of panta-ilish (fermented rice and hilsa fish), bharta (mashed items), and bhaji (fried vegetables) became a desirable norm—something that still appeals to youth and others today. It made one feel deeply connected to Bangalee identity.
I remember how someone at my university started selling bharta-bhaji for breakfast, which became so popular that the stall was dubbed “Bangalees' Shop,” and the vendor himself became known simply as “Bangalee.” Over time, his real name was forgotten.
Similarly, our way of celebrating Pahela Baishakh has gradually moved away from its origins. Those roots lie in our agrarian past. The celebration of the Bangla New Year evolved from that very agricultural society. According to Banglapedia, “To facilitate tax collection, Mughal Emperor Akbar introduced the Bangla calendar on 10–11 March 1584, which was implemented retrospectively from the date of his accession to the throne (5 November 1556). The Bangla calendar was introduced based on the Hijri lunar calendar and the Bangla solar calendar. Although this tradition was established centuries ago, the nature of its observance has changed over time.
Looking beyond history to more recent times, a major shift can be traced back to the 1960s. During that period, the celebration of the Bangla New Year became a form of cultural resistance against the repressive rule of West Pakistan. This gave rise to broader public acceptance of the New Year celebration. In 1967 (1374 in the Bangla calendar), the cultural organisation Chhayanaut formally began celebrating the New Year under the banyan tree in Ramna Park—a tradition that continues to this day.
Following Bangladesh's independence, since 1989, the Faculty of Fine Arts at Dhaka University has organised the Ananda Shobhajatra (Joyful Procession) on Pahela Baishakh. In the context of the 1990s anti-autocracy movement, this celebration was renamed Mangal Shobhajatra (Auspicious Procession), symbolising the banishment of evil. This year, however, the organisers have decided to return to its original name.
Dhaka University Vice Chancellor Professor Niaz Ahmed Khan said, “We are not changing the name—we are going back to the original name and tradition with which this initiative began at the Faculty of Fine Arts.”
The theme for this year’s New Year celebration is: “Symphony of the New Year, End of Fascism.”
The colours and practices of celebration naturally change over time. Time carries the present forward, and social customs or traditions evolve through a kind of dialectical process. This is what we’re currently witnessing. However, such transitions can often be difficult to pass, as the conflict between cherished traditions and fading practices may not be fully grasped currently.
This ambiguity becomes clear after some time. Cultural practices don’t just embrace the new—they can also revisit elements of the past, if necessary. The renowned sociologist Eric Hobsbawm termed this process the invention of tradition, which helps explain our contemporary approach to New Year celebrations.
This shift also has historical and political dimensions, particularly in the context of identity formation during the Liberation War. Similarly, there is also an identity crisis among Bangalee Muslims in recent times. Only time will reveal how this crisis and the nature of New Year celebrations will eventually align with each other.
Culture is like a flowing river—it moves to its own rhythm. No individual can fully control it or alter its course. Cultural systems may not always remain the same, but they also do not easily accept forced impositions. Rather, cultural transformation occurs through the collective will of the people.
Like the Bangla New Year celebration, social and cultural traditions can play a powerful role in uniting the nation. Over the past decades, this celebration has significantly contributed to shaping our national identity.
Societal transformations and the influence of modernity are common across many nations. However, they continue to view their cultural heritage and universal celebrations as their roots—non-negotiable aspects of their identity. Through such traditions, a sense of national unity is fostered.
Bangla Academy former director general Shamsuzzaman Khan once wrote that the celebration of the Bangla New Year is a unique example of national solidarity, transcending religion, race, and all other divisions. It can be seen as a festival that blends various traditions. Any current debates surrounding Pahela Baishakh must not be allowed to create division within our inclusive social fabric.
Organisers of this year’s celebrations said that the Shobhajatra will be the “largest, most inclusive, colorful, and grand procession yet,” with participation from diverse ethnic communities.
This inclusive participation reflects the diversity of our society—one of the foundational principles of Pahela Baishakh. To build a more inclusive Bangladesh, this festival must be celebrated with the participation of people from all walks of life, transcending vindictiveness and division.
The celebration of Pahela Baishakh is deeply rooted in our history of resistance, unity, and identity formation. Let us preserve and cherish that tradition in building an inclusive society. Let the New Year celebration not divide us, but rather serve as a powerful means of fostering social and national unity. Pahela Baishakh should be a celebration for all people—regardless of class, caste, or creed.
*Bulbul Siddiqi, associate professor of Anthropology, North South University