List of festivals in Bangladesh explained

This is a list of festivals in Bangladesh.Almost everyone in Bangladesh has come across the saying “Bangalir baro mashe tero parbon (Bengali: বাঙালির বারো মাসে তেরো পার্বণ)”, which roughly translates to "Bengalis have thirteen festivals in twelve months (a year)". Bangladesh is a country of colourful celebrations. The people celebrate their faith, life, liberty, nature, elation, and achievements round the year through a wide variety of fairs and festivals, organized with enthusiasm and intricate details. Some Bengali fairs and festivals have a recorded history of over 2000 years. Festivals in Bangladesh fall into four major categories: religious festivals, national events, cultural festivals and tribal festivals. Although a few festivals are primarily meant for particular sections of the population, all the festivals have now attained universal reach throughout the country.

Religious observance

Muslim

• Eid ul-Fitr (Bengali: ঈদুল ফিতর/রোজার ঈদ) - on the 1st day of Shawwal month of the lunar Islamic calendar.^[1]
• Eid ul-Adha (Bengali: ঈদুল আজহার/কোরবানি)- on the 10th day of Dhu al-Hijjah month of the Islamic calendar.^[2]
• Chaand Raat (Bengali: চাঁদ রাত)- on the 29th or 30th night of Ramadan month of the Islamic calendar.^[3]
• Ashura (Bengali: আশুরা)- on the 10th day of Muharram in the Islamic calendar.^[4]
• Eid-e-Meeladun Nabi (Bengali: ঈদে মিলাদুন্নবি)– The Birth of the Prophet Muhammad^[5]
• Shab-e-Qadr^[6] (Bengali: শবে কদর)
• Shab-e-Barat^[7] (Bengali: শবে বরাত)
• Bishwa Ijtema^[8] (Bengali: বিশ্ব ইজতেমা)

Hindu

• Durga Puja - from the 2nd to the 7th day of Ashwin month of the Hindu calendar.^[9]
• Krishna Janmashtami - celebration of the birth of Lord Krishna^[10]
• Dolyatra^[11]
• Ratha Yatra, the most popular being Dhamrai Rathayatra.^[1]
• Kali Puja in Diwali^[12]
• Saraswati Puja^[13]
• Ashtami Snan on Chaitra Shukla Paksha Ashtami (ninth day during the waxing phase of moon in Chaitra Month) as per Hindu Lunar Calendar^[14]

Buddhist

• Buddha Purnima - Buddha's Birthday^[15]
• Madhu Purnima^[16]
• Kathin Chibardan - offering of woven robe made of cotton to monks and nuns.^[17]

Christian

• Boro Din or Christmas - on 25 December of the Gregorian calendar.^[18]
• Easter Sunday^[19]

Patriotic and National Observances

• Language Movement Day - (International Mother Language Day); Colours worn: ^[20]
• Genocide Remembrance Day; Colours worn:
• National day of mourning (15 August); Colours worn:
• Independence Day; Colours worn: ^[21]
• Armed Forces Day^[22]
• Martyred Intellectuals Day; Colours worn: ^[23]
• Victory Day; Colours worn: ^[24]

Cultural festivals

General

• Rokeya Day
• Rabindra Jayanti
• Nazrul Jayanti

Music

• Dhaka World Music Festival (music)^[25]
• Bengal Classical Music Festival^[26]
• International Folk Festival^{[27] [28]}

Folk

• Pahela Baishakh - on the 1st day of the Bengali calendar and summer festival; also called Bangla Noboborsho; Colours worn: ^[29]
• Boshonto Utshob - Spring festival also known as Pohela Falgun; Colours worn: ^[30]
• Nabanna - Winter and harvest festival; Colours worn: ^[31]
• Borsha Utshob - Monsoon festival; Colours worn:
• Nouka Baich - Boat racing festivals held after the monsoon when rivers are filled

Others

• Bengal Original Culture Festival^[32]
• Cinemaking International Film Festival^[33]
• Dhaka Festival^[34]
• Dhaka Art Summit^[35]
• Hay Festival Dhaka^[36]
• Dhaka Fashion Week^[37]
• Dhaka International Film Festival^[38]
• Chobi Mela International Photography Festival^[39]
• CRACK International Art Camp
• International Children's Film Festival Bangladesh
• Bioscope Children's Photography Festival
• Latin Dance Festival ^[40]

Fairs

• Ekushey Book Fair - in Dhaka on the month of February of the Gregorian calendar.^[41]
• Dhaka International Trade Fair^[42]
• National Tree Fair - Month-long National Tree Plantation Campaign and Tree Fair.
• National Fisheries Week and Fish Fair - Week-long National Fiash Trade and Fair.^{[43] [44]}

Local events

• Shakrain — in Dhaka at the end of the Poush of the Bengali calendar.^[45]
• Jatiya Pitha Utsab — National Pitha (Cake) Festival.^[46]
• Charak — 3-day-long festival in Pabna starting on the last day of the Bangla month of Chaitra.^[47]
• Joy Bangla Concert — annual concert to mark the 7 March Speech of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
• Nouka Baich^[48]
• Bisu Mela^[49]

Public holidays

• Public holidays in Bangladesh

Notes and References

1. Web site: Eid-ul-Fitr celebrated in Bangladesh. bdnews24.com. 2016-03-19.
2. Web site: Eid ul-Adha helps Bangladesh farmers - BBC News. BBC News. en-GB. 2016-03-19.
3. Web site: Chaand Raat in Old Dhaka. The Daily Star. 2016-03-19.
4. Web site: Holy Ashura on Oct 24. www.dhakatribune.com. 2016-03-19.
5. Web site: Bangladesh forces arrest 7 militants during raid on JMB hideout. hindustantimes.com. 2016-03-19.
6. Web site: Dhaka yet to get over Eid hangover despite end of holidays. bdnews24.com. 2016-03-19.
7. Web site: Try old town bakeries this Shab-e-Barat. The Daily Star. 2016-03-19.
8. Web site: What is the festival of Bishwa Ijtema and where is it held?. Telegraph.co.uk. 2016-03-19.
9. Web site: Durga Puja public holiday on Oct 21. bdnews24.com. 2016-03-19.
10. Web site: Janmashtami being celebrated. www.dhakatribune.com. 2016-03-19.
11. Web site: Dolyatra. Rahman. Aunik. www.ebanglapedia.com. 2016-03-19.
12. Web site: Kali Puja in the time of Diwali. www.dhakatribune.com. 2016-03-19.
13. Web site: Saraswati Puja celebration across the country. www.dhakatribune.com. 2016-03-19.
14. Web site: 2018-03-23 . Holy Ashtami Snan starts tomorrow . 2022-05-28 . The Daily Star . en.
15. Web site: Tolerance in Bangladesh. The Daily Star. 2016-03-19.
16. Web site: Madhu Purnima - Banglapedia. en.banglapedia.org. 2016-03-19.
17. Web site: News Details. www.bssnews.net. 2016-03-19.
18. Web site: BANGLADESH Christmas among banana trees and under bamboo stars. AsiaNews.it. www.asianews.it. 2016-03-19.
19. Web site: Christians observe Easter Sunday. bdnews24.com. 2016-03-19.
20. Web site: Bangladesh pays tribute to Language Movement martyrs. bdnews24.com. 2016-03-19.
21. Web site: 5 militants held in Bangladesh, authorities suspect they had planned attacks on the country's Independence Day - Firstpost. Firstpost. en-US. 2016-03-19.
22. Web site: Armed Forces Day being marked. www.dhakatribune.com. 2016-03-19.
23. Web site: Martyred Intellectuals Day observed in Bangladesh. dna. en-US. 2016-03-19.
24. Web site: Victory Day celebrated in Bangladesh with 'renewed joy'. bdnews24.com. 2016-03-19.
25. Web site: A World of Music Descends on Dhaka. The Daily Star. 2016-03-19.
26. Web site: Bengal ITC SRA Classical Music Fest ends on a high note. The Daily Star. 2016-03-19.
27. Web site: Dhaka International Folk Fest . 2022-08-26 . beautifulbangladesh.gov.bd.
28. Web site: Dhaka International Folk Fest | Dhaka, Bangladesh Events. Lonely Planet.
29. Web site: Ushering in Noboborsho in a thousand voices. The Daily Star. 2016-03-19.
30. Web site: Pohela Falgun being celebrated. www.dhakatribune.com. 2016-03-19.
31. Web site: Nobanno celebrations in Chittagong. The Daily Star. 2016-03-19.
32. Web site: 1st Bengali Original Cultural Festival ends. Daily Sun. 2020-01-15.
33. Web site: Award of Cinemaking International Film Festival announced . TheIndependent. 2020-12-29.
34. Web site: The Festival organized by Dhaka Festival . UNB. 2020-12-29.
35. Web site: The Dhaka Art Summit Gives Bangladesh A Global Spotlight. Forbes. 2016-03-19.
36. Web site: Hay Festival to begin November 20. The Daily Star. 2016-03-19.
37. Web site: Dhaka Fashion Week 2011 (PHOTOS). International Business Times. 2016-03-19.
38. Web site: Dhaka International Film Festival begins. bdnews24.com. 2016-03-19.
39. Web site: Capturing the essence of resistance. Tehelka - Investigations, Latest News, Politics, Analysis, Blogs, Culture, Photos, Videos, Podcasts. 2016-03-19.
40. Web site: Salsa, Bachata, Kizomba and the world of ballroom dance . 2023-05-08 . The Financial Express . en.
41. Web site: Hundreds of thousands throng Ekushey Book Fair at the end. bdnews24.com. 2016-03-19.
42. Web site: PM inaugurates Dhaka International Trade Fair 2016. bdnews24.com. 2016-03-19.
43. Web site: National fisheries week 2018: Ilish production up by 150%. 24 July 2018. Dhaka Tribune.
44. Web site: Maintain global standard in fish production for export: PM. 18 July 2019. The Daily Star.
45. Web site: The Shakrain Festival in Bangladesh. RYOT News. en-US. 2016-03-19. https://web.archive.org/web/20160331002854/http://www.ryot.org/denizen-video-celebrating-the-shakrain-festival-in-bangladesh/948421. 31 March 2016. dead.
46. News: Jatiya Pitha Utsab. bdnews24.com. 25 January 2014.
47. Web site: Topu . Ahmed Humayun Kabir . 2023-04-13 . 3-day Charak festival kicks off in Pabna . 2023-05-20 . The Daily Star . en.
48. Web site: Of boats and paddles. The Daily Star. 2016-03-19.
49. Web site: All set to welcome Bangla New Year - New Age. New Age. en-GB. 2016-03-19.