Bengalis transcend divide to celebrate new year

DHAKA - Emotions ran high amid exchange of flowers, sweets and plenty of social chatter as friends and families from Bangladesh and India met across a barbed wire fence to celebrate Poila Baishakh, the Bengali new year.

Neighbours, living only a few meters or kilometers apart, met on the Omakhanma border in Pachagarh in northern Bangladesh, exchanging greetings and talking heartily. They included families divided by partition.

Most of them are too poor to afford a journey across the border that, besides money, entails time and procedures.

The venue, to be precise, was the border between Pillar 743 and 744, The Daily Star reported Friday.

People from different districts of the two countries were seen exchanging various things including biscuits, chanachur (a local snack), pens, clothes and towels.

Seeing near and dear ones after a long time, many of them became emotional and could not check their tears.

Several people who came here Wednesday to meet their relatives said the 1947 partition by the British made it hard for those living on two sides of the border to meet.

Nelwashar Barman, 70, of Gobindaguru village under Boda upazila in Panchagarh, went to meet his daughter Bashonti, who lives in Siliguri in India. They last met 11 years back.

Nurul Haque Prodhan, 60, of Jhotiakhali village of Siliguri sub-division in India met his nephew Golam Rabbani, 45, who lives at Notun Bosti village in Panchagarh. Each year on the first day of Bangla New Year they come to the border to meet their relatives.

“Every year on the first day of Bangla New Year people from both sides come here to meet with their relatives. We make the arrangement through discussion with BSF (Border Security Force),” said Major A.K.M. Hasibul Hossain Nabi, deputy commanding officer of 25 Rifles Battalion.

Company commander of Khalpara BSF Battalion Arun Lal said they unofficially allow people to meet with their relatives on the special occasion considering emotional issue of people.