By NNN-Xinhua
Dhaka : The Bengali New Year is celebrated Monday across Bangladesh, especially in capital Dhaka, with a festive atmosphere.
Tens of thousands of people in masks and traditional dress, mostly students of the Dhaka University, held a colorful parade through the university, ushering in good spirits for the new year and vowing to defeat any ill-will.
At the forefront of the parade were precisionists carrying symbolic figures of the owl, tortoise, tiger and elephant.
Security has been tightened in the capital on the eve of the Bengali New Year, and strict safety measures have also been taken in the rest of the country to prevent any disturbance of the new year festivities.
Security forces swept the Ramna Park, the main venue of celebrations in Dhaka, closing it to the public from 3 pm Sunday till 4 am Monday. A central control room, five observation towers,22 closed circuit television cameras and 50 check posts were set up inside the park.
Those who came to attend the celebration Monday morning were checked before entering the park.
Bomb-disposal experts and dog squads patrolled the main festival premises and adjoining areas, with back-up forces on hand to face any situation round the clock. – NNN-XINHUA