Traditional boat race enthrals people in K'ganj

KISHOREGANJ, Sept 6: A traditional boat race organised by the district administration in the Surma River near Dhanpur Bazar in Itna Upazila of the district on Saturday afternoon enthralled thousands of people coming from five haor-surrounded upazilas.

Kishoreganj Deputy Commissioner (DC) and District Magistrate Sohana Nasrin closely enjoyed the boat race. Among those present were Kishoreganj-4 (Itna-Mithamoin-Austagram) Constituency MP and valiant freedom fighter Advocate Md Fazlur Rahman, Kishoreganj Superintendent of Police Mizanur Rahman, Additional DC (General) Md Ishtiaq Emon, Additional DC (Education and ICT) Jesmin Akter, and the Upazila Nirbahi Officers of Mithamoin, Itna, and Karimganj.

A total of 12 boats from different areas took part in the race. The rhythmic strokes of the rowers’ oars, the beats of drums and traditional percussion instruments, and the excitement, cheers, and calls of the spectators, accompanied by repeated rounds of applause, transformed both banks of the Surma into a spectacular gathering overflowing with people.

Alongside meeting the aspirations of the people, the Kishoreganj District Administration is highly interested in organising such initiatives to revive the disappearing traditional sports and cultural heritage of rural Bengal and to pass them on to the younger generation.