Dhaka celebrates Pohela Boishakh with a cross-cultural display

Like every year, the Bengali New Year, Pohela Boishakh, was celebrated with great enthusiasm, but this time with an artistic twist that blended the local traditional with the global.

On a sunny April morning, the Faculty of Fine Arts at Dhaka University, known as Charukola, was transformed into a riot of colour and creativity. The sun had been showing its heat since the day started.

Pohela Boishakh 1432 brought thousands of people together at Charukola, where the walls, walkways, and open spaces were decorated with paintings, sculptures, and traditional Bengali crafts.

One of the highlights was the age-old art form of Poto Chitra, a detailed narrative scroll painting style on clothes practised in the Bengal Delta for centuries. With their rich colours and mythical stories, these scrolls were displayed across the faculty grounds, drawing admiration from both young and old.

As is tradition every year, Charukola organised and operated the day-long event. However, this year, visitors noticed something different. The artwork surrounding the school building fused East and West. Alongside alpana designs and Bengali folk motifs were towering portraits and reproductions of famous European art pieces.

A large mural displayed portraits of Frida Kahlo, Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, a revised Michelangelo's David where Shubho Noboborsho written on his chest, Salvador Dali's The Persistence of Memory, and Henri Matisse's The Dance. It boldly stated that art knows no boundaries and can speak across cultures and continents.

"This wall is my favourite part of today's celebration," said Samia Alam, a banker and former student of Dhaka University. "For the first time, I see cultural inclusivity embraced in a Pohela Boishakh program. It's inspiring."

Like many others, Samia came early in the morning to join the Anondo Shobhajatra, which was previously known as the Mongol Shobhajatra. It was a joyous parade that symbolised Bengali identity and secularism.

Giant colourful masks, animal figures, and musical instruments marched through the campus, accompanied by dancers, singers, and students.

The atmosphere was electric with dhol beats and traditional songs, as families, students, and tourists walked together in celebration.

Rafique Ahmed, a private service holder, visited the festival with his wife and two young children. They wore traditional red and white outfits and carried paper fans to beat the heat. "It is indeed a very hot day," he said, wiping his forehead, "but look at the decorations-they are vibrant and beautifully organised. My kids love the colours and music."

Children gathered around stalls for traditional toys and sweet treats. At the same time, elders sat under the shade of banyan trees, watching cultural performances.

From buying souvenirs to listening to folk songs and face painting performances, every corner of Charukola, the Arts building, and Ramna Park was filled with joyful activities.

The day also featured a special mela (fair) that offered handmade crafts, clay pots, jewellery, and local snacks like muri, pitha, and chana chur. Many visitors took selfies in front of the colourful rickshaw art panels, another iconic visual form native to Bangladesh.

For artists and students of Charukola, the celebration was also an opportunity to showcase their creativity.

Senior artists explained how the tradition was once used to tell stories in rural villages, often mixing mythology, history, and everyday life.

"This is a chance for us to reconnect with our roots," said a student volunteer from the Fine Arts faculty. "But it's also about looking forward. That's why we included international artworks-to show that art is a universal language."

Indeed, the theme of cross-cultural connection ran deep in this year's celebration. The presence of iconic Western art did not feel out of place; instead, it added depth to the rich visual landscape.

The contrast between Frida Kahlo's bold self-portraits and Poto Chitra's delicate lines reminded visitors that all art, no matter where it comes from, speaks to human emotion and experience.

People lingered, taking in the final performances and snapping last-minute photos. The day ended not with a single moment but with a lingering feeling of community, creativity, and hope.

The celebration of Pohela Boishakh 1432 proved that tradition and innovation can go hand in hand. By blending local art forms with international icons, the event told a powerful story that art, much like the Bengali New Year itself, is about renewal, unity, and the joy of expression.

asif.khan@gmail.com