DHAKA: ‘Nabanna Utsab’, a Bengali traditional harvest festival, will be celebrated across the country on the first day of the Bangla month of Agrahayan that falls on November 15.

As in the previous years, Jatiya Nabanna Utsab Udjapan Parshad, a national committee for the festival celebration, will organise a daylong cultural programme highlighting the spirit of the traditional festivity on the day at the premises of the fine arts faculty widely known as Charukala of Dhaka University.

The committee informed media at a press conference at city’s Liberation War Museum on Wednesday.

Eminent cultural activist Kamal Lohani will inaugurate the festival as chief guest at 7:00 in the morning on November 15.

Committee convenor Shahriar Salam will deliver a welcome speech at the inauguration programme, to be chaired by noted dance artiste also committee chair Laila Hasan.

About 30 cultural organisations, including Udichi, Nrityam, Wrishij, Grahaswar, Khelaghar, Rabindra Sangeet Sammilan Parishad, Banhishikha, Nataraj, Spandan, Sukanya, Satyen Sen Shilpi Goshti and Swabhumi, will perform at the celebration programme.

A group of ethnic minority will also perform at the festival.

‘Nabanna Utsab is considered country’s one of the oldest festivals. It has been celebrating since time immemorial,’ Shahriar Salam told banglanews24.com adding more, ‘We urge people irrespective of caste, creed and colour to celebrate this festival across the country’.

He further said, ‘It is a festival, generally been celebrating by the peasant families. We can pay respect by celebrating the festival to our peasant families, who provide foods for us’.

Among others, committee chair Laila Hasan, co-chair Babul Biswas, convenor Shahriar Salam and joint-convenor Nayeem Suja were present at the conference.

BDST: 1953 HRS, NOV 13, 2013
RoR/MZR