Rallies, discussions mark Janmashtami across districts

Hindus across the country celebrated Janmashtami, one of their major religious festivals, on Friday with various religious programmes marking the birth of Lord Krishna and calls to build a humane, just and secular state based on his ideals. Rallies, discussions and cultural programmes were held in Bagerhat, Barishal, Joypurhat, Narayanganj, Rangamati, Sirajganj and Tangail to mark the occasion.

BAGERHAT: The Janmashtami celebrations officially began on Friday morning with the lighting of an auspicious lamp at the Shri Shri Harisabha Temple in Shaltala of the town. Bagerhat Deputy Commissioner (DC) Golam Mohammad Baten inaugurated the celebrations as the chief guest. Among others, Ramkrishna Ashram head Guruseba Nanda, Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Md Russell, District BNP Convener ATM Akram Hossain Talim, and Niloy Kumar Bhadra of the Puja Udjapan Parishad were present.

Later, a colourful rally was brought out from the front of the Harisabha Temple that paraded through the town’s main roads and ended at the temple. 

BARISHAL: A colourful rally organised by the district unit of the Puja Udjapan Parishad began from Line Road around 11:30 am. 
Barishal-5 Constituency MP Majibur Rahman Sarwar inaugurated the rally. With devotees carrying religious banners and chanting, the rally was accompanied by traditional drums, conch shells, cymbals, and ululations. 

JOYPURHAT: On the occasion, a colourful rally started from the Joypurhat Central Shib Temple, passed through the town, and ended on the temple premises. A discussion meeting was held there, with Zilla Parishad Administrator Masud Rana Pradhan as the chief guest, and Adv Hrishikesh Sarkar, president of the district unit of the Puja Udjapan Parishad, in the chair.

Adv Nandakishore Agarwala, convener of the district unit of the Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, inaugurated the programme.
Nirmal Kumar Mondal, President of the Joypurhat Barwari Temple, spoke as the special guest. Advocate Swapan Talukdar, General Secretary (GS) of the District Puja Udjapan Parishad, moderated the event.

NARAYANGANJ: On the occasion, a rally began from the No. 2 Railway Gate area in the city after the ribbon was cut and pigeons and balloons were released. The rally passed through various parts of the city before ending at the same location.

Narayanganj-5 Constituency MP Adv Abul Kalam attended the event as the chief guest. Special guests included Narayanganj City Corporation Administrator and Convener of the Metropolitan BNP Adv Sakhawat Hossain Khan, Member Secretary of Metropolitan BNP Adv Abu Al Yusuf Khan Tipu, business leaders Prabir Kumar Saha and Amal Poddar, Hindu community leaders Saroj Kumar Saha, Paritosh Kanti Saha, Joy K Roy Chowdhury Bappy and Shikhan Sarkar Shipon, among others.

RANGAMATI: On the occasion, Babu Nirmal Chakraborty, president of the Purohit Kalyan Samity’s Rangamati Hill District unit, inaugurated the programmes by lighting a ceremonial lamp on the Rangamati Municipality premises.

A discussion meeting was chaired by Dayal Das, president of the District Janmashtami Udjapan Parishad. Zilla Parishad Chairman Dipan Talukdar Dipu attended as the chief guest.

Among those present were Zone Commander of Rangamati Sadar Zone Lt Col Ekramul Rahat, ASP Tarek Sekander, District BNP GS and Zilla Parishad Member Mamunur Rashid Mamun and Zilla Parishad Member Nandita Das.

A colourful rally later travelled through the town’s main roads before ending in front of the DC office. 

SIRAJGANJ: On the occasion, a colourful rally started from the front of Bhasani College on Mujib Road on Friday morning and passed through the town’s main roads.

Before the rally, a discussion meeting was held at the same venue chaired by Amar Krishna Das, president of the Janmashtami Udjapan Committee. DC Md Aminul Islam attended as the chief guest.

ASP Rafzan Rauf, District BNP GS Saidur Rahman Bacchu, Adv Kalyan Kumar Saha and Adv Ranjit Mondal Swapan, and President of the District Puja Udjapan Parishad Santosh Kumar Kanu were the special guests.

TANGAIL: As part of a three-day celebration featuring devotional music, Nila Kirtan, cultural programmes and religious discussions, a colourful rally organised by the Tangail Shri Shri Kalibari began from the Boro Kalibari premises.

State Minister for Fisheries and Livestock and Tangail Sadar Constituency MP Sultan Salahuddin Tuku attended the opening ceremony as the chief guest and later joined the rally.

Babu Shyamal Hor, a trustee of the Hindu Religious Welfare Trust, inaugurated the programme. 
Those present included District BNP former member secretary Mahmudul Haque Sanu, former organising secretary Shafikur Rahman Khan Shafik, Tangail Sadar Upazila BNP Senior Joint Secretary Azim Uddin Biplob, District Chhatra Dal Convener Durjoy Hor Shuvo, Shri Shri Kalibari Acting President Swapan Ghosh, and GS and valiant freedom fighter Jibon Krishna Chowdhury, Tangail Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Shaheen Mia and ASP (Sadar Circle) HM Mahbub Rezwan Siddiqui.