<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000;">After a gap of two years caused by the Covid 19 pandemic, the Bangla new year Pohela Boisakh was celebrated across Bangladesh on Thursday, April 14 with enthusiasm and festivity.<br />''<br />''In Dhaka, the festivities started early in the morning at the traditional and historic venue of Ramna Batamul. The cultural organisation Chhayanut started the programmes at the Batamul with rendering of the classical Ramkeli Raag followed by festive songs and other programmes at the venue, reports the official news agency BSS. Chhayanut President and Padma Awardee Sanjida Khatun gave the welcome address to herald the coming of the Bengali New Year 1429.<br />''<br />''Students of Dhaka University brought out the colourful Mongol Shovajatra from the Teacher-Student Centre (TSC) premises which concluded after taking the round of Smriti Chironton Chattor on the campus.<br />''<br />''Other cultural organisations including the cultural affairs ministry of the government of Bangladesh, NGOs, social and cultural groups like Bengal Academy, Kabi Nazrul Institute and Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy organised various programmes across many venues in the capital city Dhaka. TV Channels aired special programmes on this occasion while national dailies published special supplements on the occasion.<br />''<br />''Other cities and towns of Bangladesh also celebrated the event with great enthusiasm. Places like Pabna, Khulna, Chattogram, Jessore, Feni ando other districts of the country held programmes and people took part in the festivities with great enthusiasm.<br />''<br />''Earlier, President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina greeted people of Bangladesh on the occasion of Pohela Boishakh. He reminded people of the non-communal spirit of this occasion by recalling that in 1958 Pakistani rulers had banned the celebration of Pohela Boishakh but people defied the orders and celebrated it with traditional fervour.<br />'' <br />''He said that the traditional Mongol Shovajatra got the UNESCO recognition in 2016 as World Heritage. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib also celebrated the event with other prisoners while he was incarcerated by the Pakistani rulers, said the President in his message.</span><br />