The longest Alpona is in Mithamain of Kishoreganj. Bangladesh is on the verge of making a world record, a press release said on Monday.
A collaborative initiative of Asiatic Experiential Marketing Limited, Berger Paints Bangladesh Limited, and Banglalink Digital Communications Limited, Alpona festival, titled ‘Alponay Boishakh 1431’ has successfully been organized in three different locations in the country. The largest Alpona festival in the country commenced on April 12, 2024, in Mithamoin, Kishoreganj. Artists are painting the 14-kilometer-long thoroughfare with shining color palettes from Mithamoin Zeropoint to Austagram Zeropoint, Kishoreganj, in an attempt to set a record for the world’s longest Alpana. Afterward, the Alpona festival started simultaneously at Shib Bari More in Khulna and Manik Mia Avenue in Dhaka the following day (April 13).
State Minister for Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak, MP, visited Mithamoin to participate & witness the magnificence and colorful display of the Alpona festival today on April 14, 2024, accompanied by Taimur Rahman, Chief Corporate and Regulatory Affairs Officer, Banglalink Digital Communications Limited.
The Dhaka event of ‘Alponay Boishakh 1431’ was graced by the presence of the Honorable Speaker of the National Parliament, Dr. Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, MP, as Chief Guest. Naheed Ezaher Khan, MP, Minister of State, Ministry of Cultural Affairs; Atiqul Islam, Mayor, Dhaka North City Corporation; Asaduzzaman Noor, MP, Chairman, Asiatic 3Sixty; Iresh Zaker, Group Managing Director, Asiatic 3Sixty; Rupali Chowdhury, Managing Director, Berger Paints Bangladesh Limited; Md. Mohsin Habib Chowdhury, Chief Operating Officer and Director, Berger Paints Bangladesh Limited; Taimur Rahman, Chief Corporate and Regulatory Affairs Officer, Banglalink Digital Communications Limited; Monzula Morshed, Chief Human Resources and Administration Officer of Banglalink Digital Communications Limited and renowned artist Md. Muniruzzaman were present at the site, along with other distinguished guests.
Khulna Event at Shib Bari More was graced by the presence of Sheikh Sohel, Presidium Member of Bangladesh Awami Jubo League & Director of BCB; Mukul Kumar Maitra, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) of Khulna; Muhammad Mahbub Islam, Internal Audit Director; Md. Maruf Hossain Chowdhury, Cluster Deputy Director, Banglalink Digital Communications Limited; and Shakil M Humayun, Branch Manager, Berger Paints Bangladesh Limited.
Rupali Chowdhury, Managing Director, Berger Paints Bangladesh Limited, expressed her enthusiasm, stating, “Our participation in setting a world record with the longest Alpona reflects our dedication to pushing boundaries and making history. We look forward to such colorful and memorable Boishakhi festivals for years to come.”
Iresh Zaker, Group Managing Director of Asiatic 3Sixty, expressed his delight in witnessing the revival of the ‘Alpona Boishakh’ festival. “These nationwide events reinstate the true essence of Bengali culture and celebrate Bangladesh’s creativity. Collaborating with Banglalink and Berger Paints on the ‘Alpona Boishakh 1431’ festival fills us with excitement, as at Asiatic, we believe in elevating Bangladesh’s rich creative spirit to global standards and platforms.”
Taimur Rahman, Chief Corporate & Regulatory Affairs Officer at Banglalink, shared his enthusiasm by saying, “Banglalink is deeply committed to celebrating Bangladesh’s rich cultural heritage and the wide array of its festivities. At the heart of these celebrations lies Pohela Boishakh, the country’s most significant cultural event. This festival is a vivid embodiment of Banglalink’s dedication to preserving and promoting Bangladesh’s precious traditions for the generations to come.”
Pohela Boishakh is inextricably linked with Bengali festivity and culture, and Alpona has a special place in it. Alpona embodies the spirit of non-sectarianism in modern Bangladesh. Thus, Alpona is considered a unique phase to welcome the Bangla New Year, which inspires the youth to be non-sectarian and united and move together towards a promising future.
Asiatic Experiential Marketing Limited has been organizing the Alpona festival styled as ‘Alponay Boishakh’ in various parts of the country, including Manik Mia Avenue in Dhaka, from 2012 to 2019, to welcome and celebrate Pohela Boishakh. After a break due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the eighth edition of this grand celebration has been organized successfully this year.
