Chattogram: Festivity is in the air ahead of Baishabi, the largest cultural celebration of the hill ethnic communities of the Chattogram Hill Tracts, as they prepare to welcome the New Year. The government has announced April 13 as a public holiday on Chaitra Sankranti in the three hill districts of Rangamati, Khagrachhari, and Bandarban.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, different tribes refer to the festival by various names, with ‘Baishabi’ being common to all. The Tripuris call it Baishu, the Marmas refer to it as Shangrai, and the Chakmas name it Biju. Collectively, these are known as Baishabi, a term formed from the first letters of each festival name: Bai of Baishu, Sa of Shangrai, and Bi of Biju.
The New Year celebration is typically observed over three days, encompassing the last two days of the passing year and the first day of the new year in the hilly districts. The Baishabi festival will be inaugurated this evening with a week-long Biju, Shangrai, Baisuk, Bishu, and Bihu Mela in Rangamati. Chairman of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Development Board, Major General (Retd) Anup Kumar Chakma, will officiate the opening.
Although the Baishabi festival formally begins on April 12, festivities and related programs have been ongoing in various hill areas since early April. The Rangamati Hill District Council and the Institute of Minority Ethnic Groups, in collaboration with the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, are organizing the 7-day event.
The opening ceremony will feature a discussion meeting, children’s drawing competition, musical performances, and dance shows by artists from the Chakma, Marma, Tripura, Tanchangya, Pankhoya, Khyang, Lusai, Ahmia, Gurkha, and other small ethnic groups. Various competitions and cultural programs are scheduled from April 4 to April 9, including traditional games, sports, and cooking contests.
Baishabi, though rooted in the ethno-linguistic communities of the Chattogram Hill Tracts, has evolved into a universal gathering for all communities. The celebration begins with Phul Biju Baisu or Vishu on April 12, where communities will collect Bew flowers and neem leaves to decorate their homes and float them in Kaptai Lake as offerings to Ganga Devi.
April 13 marks the main day of the Biju Baisu or Vishu festival, featuring traditional cooking and family gatherings. The Marma community will hold their Jal Keli festival from April 14 to April 16. The festive atmosphere permeates the hills, as communities bid farewell to the old year and welcome the New Year on Chaitra Sankranti, with celebrations extending to remote villages in the hill districts.