In a video message, he called upon the people to work with renewed commitment and enthusiasm to build a new Bangladesh.
“The 2024 mass uprising has given us an opportunity to create a discrimination-free country. Let us not waste this opportunity. In this New Year, building a discrimination-free Bangladesh should be our shared pledge,” he said.
Describing Pohela Boishakh as a day of harmony and great unity, the Chief Adviser said: “Today is a day to bring everyone closer.”
“This New Year marks the first new year of the new Bangladesh. Let us forget all the sorrow, grief, and negativity of the past years and move forward with fresh determination and enthusiasm,” he added.
Urging everyone to play an active role in preserving the country’s culture and heritage, and sharing it with the world, Professor Yunus noted that the people of Bangladesh get the opportunity on this day to present their rich traditions to the new generation in a festive atmosphere and share them globally.
“Pohela Boishakh is the festival of our lives—the universal celebration of Bengalis. Wherever Bengalis may be in the world, today is a day of joy for all of us, a day to welcome the New Year,” he said.
The Chief Adviser explained that the Bangla calendar originally began as a 'crop year' to support agricultural activities. Even today, farmers in the country sow seeds and harvest crops according to the Bangla calendar, he added.
Highlighting Halkhata as an integral tradition of the Bangla New Year, he said that even in modern times, this custom is upheld in markets, towns, and ports across Bangladesh.
At Boishakhi fairs throughout the country, Professor Yunus said entrepreneurs display their creativity by making traditional items such as shital pati, clay pots, pans, toys, and hand fans to mark the occasion.
He also noted that various ethnic communities in both hill and plain regions are celebrating Chaitra Sankranti and Bangla Noboborsho on a large scale this year.
The Chief Adviser expressed hope that the year 1432 will bring good days for all and usher in profound joy. He wished every success for the programs marking the Bangla New Year.
