Pohela Boishakh: Bengali New Year in Dhaka

Pohela Boishakh, the first day of the Bangla year, is the biggest secular celebration in Bangladesh. On 14 April the whole of Dhaka seems to come out in red and white, starting with songs at sunrise under the banyan tree at Ramna and a huge, colourful procession from Dhaka University. Our guide to the festivals in Bangladesh explains each one and which visitors can join.

14 April 2027 begins the Bangla year 1434. Updated 21 October 2026.

Date

Pohela Boishakh is always on 14 April in Bangladesh, which fixed the date in its revised Bangla calendar. In 2027 it falls on a Wednesday, and it is a public holiday.

How Pohela Boishakh 2026 went

On 14 April 2026 Chhayanaut opened the year at sunrise at Ramna Batamul with “Jago Alok-Lagane” and about 200 artists. The procession, held as the Boishakhi Shobhajatra, left the Faculty of Fine Arts at about 9am, looped through Shahbagh, Doel Chattar and Bangla Academy, and was back an hour later. The day passed peacefully under heavy security.

What happens

• Sunrise at Ramna Batamul. Chhayanaut, the cultural institution, welcomes the new year with songs under the banyan tree, as it has since the 1960s.
• The procession. Students of the Faculty of Fine Arts build giant masks and figures for a march through Shahbagh. Begun in 1989 as the Mangal Shobhajatra, it was listed by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2016; it has been held under new names since 2025.
• Fairs and food. Boishakhi melas, music on campus and panta ilish, soaked rice with fried hilsa, the traditional New Year breakfast.

Tips for visiting

• Wear red and white: almost everyone does.
• Go early. By 10am it is hot and crowded; carry water.
• Roads around Shahbagh close in the morning, so take the metro to Shahbagh or Dhaka University station and walk.
• Expect bag checks; travel light and keep valuables close.

Visiting with us

We take guests to the sunrise songs and the procession with a guide who explains the songs and symbols, then on to a New Year lunch. Plan your trip around 14 April.

Pohela Boishakh FAQs