New Year Party in Bangladesh

Celebrations are underway in Bangladesh today. Dancing and face painting usher in the traditional New Year. We take a look at one festival in the capital city.
Bangladeshis welcome the traditional New Year today amid major pomp and festivities.

Thousands of men, women and children dressed in traditional colorful clothes in the streets of Dhaka to dance and have fun on the first day of their New Year.

[Bibi Russell, Partygoer]:
“This is, this is the festival which I treasure, which is wonderful. I think in Bengali I want to say this is the festival, which is, you know which every Bengali (Bangladeshi) waits for and it’s the color, it’s the beauty, it’s the music, we want to show people, especially in Dhaka, that we have so much culture, so much heritage. Bangladesh could go here, you know.”

The biggest number of people gather around the Dhaka University campus. Women have their faces painted and children wear colorful masks. By far the most spectacular is the New Year parade, with dancing and huge animal floats.

During the New Year Bangladeshi families clean their homes and see relatives. Many also cook a feast for visiting guests.