Bangladeshi community celebrates Pohela Baishakh

“Shubho Nobobosho” all the very best wishes on the occasion of Pohela Baishakh

The Bangladeshi community in Rochdale joined Bangladeshi's all over the world celebrating the start of the Bengali new year – 1417 - yesterday (Wednesday 14 April), known as Pohela Baishakh in Bangladesh (1st day of the fist month in the Bengali calendar).

In Bangladesh and in the state of West Bengal (India) it is a public holiday to mark the occasion.

Celebrations of Pohela Boishakh started from Akbar's reign. It was customary to clear up all dues on the last day of Choitro. On the next day, or the first day of the new year, landlords would entertain their tenants with sweets. On this occasion there used to be fairs and other festivities.

In due course the occasion became part of domestic and social life, and turned into a day of merriment. The main event of the day was to open a new book of accounts. This was wholly a financial affair.

In villages, towns and cities, traders and businessmen closed their old account books and opened new ones. They used to invite their customers to share sweets and renew their business relationship with them. This tradition is still practiced, especially by jewellers.

The Bangladeshi community in the United Kingdom celebrate the Bengali new year with a street festival and Mela in London’s BanglaTown. It is the largest Asian festival in Europe and the largest Bengali festival outside of Bangladesh & West Bengal.

This year the Baishaki Mela festival will be held on the 23 May.

Up and down the country events are put together to mark the occasion as not everyone can get to London. The Rochdale Bangladeshi Partnership Project (RBPP) are joining the BMAUK in Manchester (Worsley Road United Reform Church Hall, Worsley Road, Swinton, Manchester M27 0AG )and you are invited.

The Rochdale Bangladeshi Partnership Project (RBPP) would like to wish the whole Bangladeshi community “Shubho Nobobosho” all the very best wishes on the occasion of Pohela Baishakh. The Secretary of RBPP, Mohammed Dobir Miah said: “Many people do not know that the Bengali’s have a calendar and although Bangladeshi is only 39 years old the Bengali culture has been around for over 1400 years. The RBPP hope to raise more awareness of cultural events and ensure that the Bengali tradition is marked by Bengali’s wherever they maybe in the world and by all communities. I extend my very best wishes to all.”