Rabiul Hossain Chowdhury Ripon:
With the motto “Traditional roots of culture” – the main social festival of the Tanchangya community ‘Vishu’ was celebrated in the area with joy and religious solemnity. The festival was celebrated on Sunday (April 12) with a day-long colorful program under the joint initiative of (Kaptai region and Devtachhari-Raisyabili region committee). The festive atmosphere spread in the Tanchangya villages as soon as the dawn broke. At 8 am, the youth in the adjacent areas dressed in traditional colorful clothes started the festival by ‘floating flowers’ in the water of the river. This ‘flower-laying’ is an integral part of the Tanchangya culture, which is used to erase the sorrows and grievances of the old year and wish for the good of the new year. A colorful rally took place from 9:30 in the morning. Men, women and children participated in the rally in their own culture and costumes, dancing and singing to the beat of drums, drums and flutes. The rally circled the main road of the upazila headquarters and turned into a gathering. The chief guest at the post-rally discussion meeting was Kaptai Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO). He said, “Today, the Bishu festival is not just a specific community; it has become a unique symbol of communal harmony. This rich folk tradition of the hilly region will one day be a major attraction for tourists in the world court.” The meeting, chaired by the Chairman of Wagga Union Parishad No. 5 and moderated by the Member Secretary of the Festival Celebration Committee, was addressed as a special guest by the Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Kaptai Police Station, former Director of Bangladesh Bank, President of Kaptai Region and Convener of the Celebration Committee. In the afternoon, traditional sports and enjoyable cultural programs of the Tanchangyas were held in the field. The audience was mesmerized when local artists performed extinct songs and dances. The speakers emphasized on highlighting and preserving this ancient tradition for the new generation. The Tanchangya community celebrates ‘Bishu’ every year as part of the Baisabi festival in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, which spreads the message of brotherhood, unity and peace in the hilly villages.
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