Thousands gathered at Ramna Batamul at dawn on Tuesday as Chhayanaut ushered in Pahela Baishakh, marking the start of the Bangla New Year 1433.

The event began at 6:15am shortly after sunrise with the chorus ‘Jago Alok Logone,’ performed by Mirajul Jannat Sonia, Aishwarja Samadder, Priyontu Deb and Samudra Shuvam.

The programme featured eight chorus songs and 14 solo performances, alongside recitations by artists and students of Chhayanaut, including Maksura Akhter Antara, Azizur Rahman Tuhin, Shemonty Monjari, Bitu Kumar Shil, Shrabanti Dhar, Bizon Chandra Mistry, Bhaswar Banerjee, Nasima Shaheen, Khairul Anam Shakil, Sharmin Shathi Islam Moyna, Tania Mannan, Laisa Ahmed Lisa, Khairul Alam Shabuj, Biman Chandra Biswas and Chandana Majumdar.

Artistes performed songs composed by Rabindranath Tagore, Kazi Nazrul Islam, Lalon Shah, Dwijendralal Roy, Ajay Bhattacharya, Abdul Latif and Jyotirindra Maitra, alongside folk music.

The event concluded with a speech by Chhayanaut executive president Sarwar Ali, who raised concerns over recent attacks on cultural organisations, newspapers and cultural activists, calling for the protection of freedom of cultural expression. He also condemned what he described as US-Israel assaults on Persian civilisation.