Painting Boishakh on city streets

Asiatic EXP, Banglalink Digital Communications Limited and Berger Paints Bangladesh are jointly organising one of the largest “alpana” (street painting) festivals in the country. Titled as Banglalink Alpanay Bangladesh powered by Berger Paints, the festival will celebrate the Bengali new year 1424 by painting streets at six locations in the country, including Manik Miah Avenue, Dhaka. Four other venues are DC Hill Area, Chittagong, Padma Paar, Rajshahi, Shib Bari Circle, Khulna, Bangabandhu Park Road, Barishal and Town Hall Circle, Mymensingh. Announcement of the program has been made at a press conference held recently. Speaker of the Parliament, Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, Cultural Affairs Minister Asaduzzaman Noor, and State Minister Tarana Halim, Ministry of Post and Telecommunications Division will inaugurate the event at Manik Miah Avenue. “Bengali New Year is an important aspect of our culture, and I am more than happy to be a part of this Alpana festival,” said Asif Ahmed. “We also feel that people living outside of the capital are being deprived of these festivities and that’s why, for the first time ever, we’ve included the five major cities of the country in our festival,” he added. According to the general manager of Marketing, Berger Paints Bangladesh Limited, AKM Sadek Newaz, the street painting will cover more than four lakh square feet of streets around the country. Sara Zaker, group executive vice-president of Asiatic Three Sixty, said, “We are proud to be the part of such an initiative. We believe this will add new dimension to the festivities of the Bengali New Year.” The patron of the Banglalink Alpanay Bangladesh, Mohammad Muniruzzaman, invited the general people to participate in the event, saying, “Alpana has always been in the core of our culture and our minds.” The program will commence at 9 pm on April 13, and continue till the morning of Bengali New Year. Famous pop fusion band Chirkutt will also perform at the event.