Like all other nations, Bangladesh has some unique popular festivals. The first day of the Bengali calendar, i.e. the Pohela Boishakh is a day of joy and celebration for the people here. It is observed with great festivity. This festival is indeed embedded in our Bengali tradition. Every year this day comes with new hopes and aspirations. The people wait for this day with utmost interest and when it comes around, all the people irrespective of caste and creed welcome it. The whole of Bangladesh then wears a festive mood.

Bangla New Year is traditionally a big occasion for us. This day is a government holiday. All types of economic activities stop and the people become busy celebrating the day. They welcome the day with a popular song – “Esho Hey Boishakh, Esho Esho”. Every individual starts the day by wishing a happy New Year to his relative, friends, and well-wishes. They never forget to have sweetmeat and offer it to guests on the day. Business firms and shops also with their valued customer’s happy New Year with sweetmeats. Sweet words and sweetmeats make the day sweet.

The “Ramna Batamul” in Dhaka is a place where thousands of people gather to celebrate the day with fanfare. On the day, People rise very early in the morning and gather around that place to enjoy music and have Panta Bhat with Hilsa curry. Thus they turn back to tradition and bask in the rich cultural heritage. Different cultural programmers’ as well colorful rallies and processions mark the day.

On the day, every family, poor and rich, arranges rich food as per capacity with the hope that the joyful moments will linger and continue throughout the year. So, people never let the day be dull and fruitless.

The Baishakh Mela or fair is a common feature of Bangla New Year. It is an old tradition. On the day, fairs sit everywhere -in villages and cities. The main attraction of a fair is the array of various homemade articles or cottage industry products. All type of people – men, women, and children – come to the fair and enjoys them. People rush to buy food and other things, and the place becomes crowded. Book exhibitions and dress exhibitions are also held and enhance the beauty and joy of this big occasion.

Hakata is another common practice that starts from the first day of the New Year. Though this practice is on the wane day by day, a good number of traders still pleasure this with great business with keeping records afresh.

Pohela Boishakh is indeed a significant day in Bengali life. It comes to drive away old pangs and pains, and go ahead with new hope. It gives a special strength to forget the previous failure and make people dream for the best in the future.

Question: A report on Drama festival in Jhenidah.

Drama Festival

Answer: Jhenidah, 20 January 2007: A seven-day-long Jatiya Natya Utsob (National Drama Festival) concluded at the local Shilpakala Academy auditorium recently.

The festival was arranged by the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. A total of seven drama groups from various parts of the country took part in the festival. Each group presented a drama during the festival from January 12 to January 18.

On a concluding day, Ankur Natya Academy, the leading drama group of Jhenidah district, presented a drama titled ‘Kabar’. The other drama groups who presented dramas in the festival were Progoti Sangha of Dinajpur, Chandpur Drama of Chandpur, Sangket Natya Dal of Tangail, Theatre Circle of Munshiganj, Pravati Natya Goshti of Barisal and Rangpur Natya Kendro of Rangpur. Thousands of drama fans enjoyed all the dramas.

Chinese New Year is one of the most exciting and happiest times of the year. During this holiday season all Malaysian, especially those of Chinese origin, join in to visit one another and generally have a wonderful time together.

For me, it is no different from others. A week before New Year’s Day I would have got ready all my new clothes and new shoes. My parents, brothers and sisters, friends and relatives are all busy preparing for the big day too.

On the eve of the New Year, all members of the family would be gathered together to have the traditional reunion dinner. My house would be filled with the chatter of voices as one by one, my brothers and sisters return home with their family. It would be one big noisy new year. My little nephews and nieces would make sure of that.

To welcome in the New Year, I would wait, with those who can bear it, till after midnight at an auspicious .hour to begin the ritual prayers. After the short prayers, I would light some firecrackers to signal the start of the New Year. I am sure my whole neighborhood would be wakened by the noise of the exploding firecrackers, not only from me but also from others. In fact, every Chinese family would be letting off firecrackers. They are supposed to scare off evil spirits.

After a light sleep, I would wake up early in the morning to greet the new day. Then I would greet my parents and my grandmother. They would give me some ‘ang-pows’ as is traditionally practiced. In fact, all unmarried members of the family would receive the ‘ang-pows’ from the manned ones. It is certainly wonderful to receive money. One day I shall find out how it is like to give.

Anyway, after breakfast, I would be out of the house visiting all my friends. My closest friends and I would do our rounds on our bicycles. It is a sort of tradition for us, for we have been doing this for two years now.

At every house we visit, we would be offered food and drinks in unlimited amounts. I must be very careful not to stuff myself at the very first house we visit. Two years ago I made the mistake of eating indiscriminately at the first house we visited. As a result. I could not eat any more at the subsequent houses. What was worse, I came down with an acute case of indigestion. That new year was terrible. The very sight of food and drinks made me want to throw up. It was not a pleasant experience. Now I am a wiser person. I would only eat and drink in moderation. In this way, I could enjoy all the different food and drinks in different houses and still not overeat.

In the afternoon, if there is a good picture playing at one of the theatres, my friends and I would go and see it. Otherwise, we would visit more friends.

By evening, all of us would be tired but happy. We would have spent a wonderful day visiting friends and sharing the joy that comes only once a year. The New Year is especially wonderful because I am never short of money on that day. I cannot say the same for the other days.

When I finally arrive back home, everything would be ready for dinner. So, if I had watched the amount! had eaten earlier, I would still have some space left over to take in what my mother would have slavishly prepared for us.

The evening after dinner would be spent with my family. The little kids are an unending source of fun and games. I would show them the art of lighting rockets, roman candles, and other fireworks. Of course, I must take care that no accident occurs. Calamity on New Year’s Day is certainly bad luck to everyone.

When midnight approaches it would be time then to call it a day, and what a day it would have been So its shah be near actual day comes. I have planned and thus know exactly what to do.

Question: Your sister’s birthday is on May 5. Write a paragraph advising her how she would arrange her birthday party. You may use the following keywords:

First, guests, then, menu, next, invite, alter that, decorate, attractive dress, finally

Answer: Birthday comes once a year. My younger sister’s birthday is on May 5. I advised her to arrange her birthday party in the following way. First, she should make a list of her friends and relatives. The number of guests must not exceed the capacity of her drawing-room. Then she should make its menu in the consolation of her parents. Next, she must invite her friends personally. She has to order the birthday cake and make sure that it reaches, earlier than the scheduled time. After that, she will decorate the drawing-room with festoons of different colors. The drawing room should be neat and clean. She will put on a new and attractive dress. When the guests start coming to the food items including the cake should be placed on a ‘table in the middle of the room. Finally, she will cut the birthday cake and the guests will say ‘Happy birthday to you.’ Her friends will dance and sing. Someone’s camera will go on clicking.

Or,

How to Arrange a Birthday Party

Celebrating our birthday is always enjoyable for us. It gives us much pleasure. If you want to celebrate your birthday, you need to arrange a birthday party. To arrange the party, you have to do certain things. First of all, invite your friends and relatives who you want to. You can invite them orally or through invitation cards. Secondly, decorate your house with colored papers, balloons, etc. You may also write “Happy Birth Day to —-” on an art-board or on a cork-sheet and stick it to the wall. Buy or make some delicious food to entertain the guests. Buy a birthday cake and some birthday candles. Make ready a knife for cutting the cake. Set the birth-day cake in the middle of a table. Make a camera ready for taking snaps or for recording video. You may take the help of your friends and parents. Now, light the candles and set them around the cake. Call the guests and tell them to stand around the table. Take the knife and let your parents hold your hand. Now blow out the candles and cut the cake in the midst of the song “Happy birthday to you —-“. Distribute the cake and food among the guests. You can make your birthday livelier by singing and dancing.

The birthday is a festival. The day on which a man is born is his birthday. It is an important day in one’s life. Many celebrate this day by giving, a party, which is known as a birthday party. Generally, those who are cultural and financially solvent throw a party on this occasion. A birthday party is generally held in the drawing-room of a house. The room is decorated with colored papers and birthday balloons. On a colored paper “Happy Birthday” is written down for whom it is being celebrated. Candles are lighted depending on the age of the person. The birthday cake is the central attraction of a birthday party. Various snacks are served at a birthday party. Generally, a birthday party is given in the afternoon in a homely atmosphere. So, it is very enjoyable.

Question: Write a short composition about the “Religious Festivals in Bangladesh.”

Answer: In Bangladesh, we have many religious festivals to observe for strengthening our social relation, deepening our religious beliefs and upholding our cultural tradition. There is a great appeal for all the festivals not only in our personal life but also is our individual life. Festivals are common to all societies and cultures. With the change of social and economic setup, the nature of festivals also changes. But some festivals are so deeply rooted in the social organism that they continue to entertain from generation to generation.

The two main religious festivals of the Muslims of Bangladesh are Eid-al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. Eid-al-Fitr is observed after the end of Ramadan. After a month-long fasting, people become very glad when they see the new moon of Eid-al-Fitr in the evening sky. Next morning the pious Muslims put on new clothes and go to Eidgah to say the Eid prayer. Sweets, biryani, and other delicious foods are prepared in houses. Relatives are invited on the occasion and good foods, new clothes. Zakat and Fitra are distributed to the poor. The Eid returns every year and so is the case with Eid al-Adha. On the occasion of Eid al-Adha, four-footed domestic animals are sacrificed. The meat and flesh of the sacrificed animals are distributed to the poor. The biggest religious festival of the Hindu community is Durga Puja. The Hindus participate in it with great enthusiasm. Durga Puja is an old festival. It is a folk form of the past which has turned now into an autumnal festival. It is also known as the untimely awakening of goddess Durga as Ramchandra invoked her because in the past Durga Puja was performed in the spring and that was the propitious time for offering Puja to the goddess.

In our country, the Christians and the Buddhists also observe different religious festivals of their own. The Christmas festival is the main religious festival of the Christians. The festival is the birth anniversary of Jesus Christ. It lasts for a single day. On the day special prayers are offered in the churches. Feasts are arranged in houses and gifts are distributed among friends and relatives.

The main festival of the Buddhists is Buddha Purnima or Baisakhi Purnima. The birth of Buddha, his adoption of asceticism, his attainment of ‘nirvana’–all these occurred on the full-moon lunar day. It is the most important and solemn festival of the Buddhists. It is being celebrated in Bangladesh with great splendor for more than one thousand years. In Bangladesh people of different communities live in peace and harmony and they have different religious festivals throughout the year.

Introduction: Eid is the most festive day for the Muslims and It is the Most Important Festival in Our Country. It is observed with great interest. It has a great importance for the Muslims, in facts, for the people of Bangladesh.

Meaning and teaching: the main aim of the day is to bring mankind under an umbrella with a festive mood. It teaches us that all are equal to Allah. It teaches us that we should love one another. We learn that Allah is omnipotent and we should bow down our head on him and we should love his creature.

Prohibitions: The day prohibits any type of misdeed. On this day the Muslims promise not to commit any sin anew. The day also shows the greatness and power of Allah.

A day of joy: it is the most festive day of the Muslims. We feel spiritually happy. All wear new dresses. The Muslims. We feel spiritually happy. All wear new dresses. The Muslims use ‘attar’ and ‘surma’ on their dresses. The children feel very happy on that day. Everybody passes the day with a smiling face.

Greetings: On this day the Muslimas exchange greetings. We embrace one another. We shake hands. We invite one another. The rich go to the houses of the poor and give them some gifts.

Conclusion: In conclusion, we a say that the day has a great religious value. We should follow the teachings from Eid.

Question:

• When does baishakhi mela held?
• What do the people do in this day?
• Which things do the people do in this day?
• Where is the main center of baishakhi mela?
• What is the plan of the people for baishakhi mela?
• How does baishakhi mela celebrate?

Answer: Baaishakhi mela is held on the first day of the Bangla New Year. It is a part and parcel of Bengali culture. In this day the cities and villages of Bangladesh wear a new dress. People are looking forward to welcoming the year through this celebration. A Baishakhi mela is an annual gathering. It is a great attraction for the village people. Many fairs are held in Boishakh month. Some are held for one day and some are for many days. In boishakhi mela there are many cultural programmes like the ceremony of folksong, bhatiali and murshidi are held. This festival encompasses exhibition music, poetry, crafts, photography, there in the urban area. The Ramna batamul is the main center, around which new year celebrations have been spread around the Dhaka city. Circus parties are found in Baishakhi mela. There are many things sold and bought here. The children buy many toys balloons, sweets and other attractive things in this day. People of the villages are greatly impressed by Jatra parties. Panta-bhat is sold and served by the young women. Really in this day, the whole Bangle is happy and they make the plan for the whole year.