From this year Jodhpur Park Festival, one of the biggest social festivals in Kolkata, will commemorate a day as Bangladesh Day. Renowned Tagore singer Rezwana Chowdhury Bannya attended the inaugural ceremony of the festival on January 5.

Shirshendu Mukherjee, popular litterateur and the chairman of the festival committee and Krishna Kumar Das, the joint secretary of the committee told The Daily Star that many people residing in Jodhpur Park of South Kolkata, have an inseparable bonding with Bangladesh. To further strengthen that connection, we have decided to observe January 8 as Bangladesh Day.

“'Bangladesh Day' will exclusively showcase the cultural heritage of Bangladesh and become a platform for artistes and eminent personalities of both the countries. Deputy High Commissioner Toufiq Hassan with other officials of the Deputy High Commission in Kolkata will attend, while singers from India and several Bangladeshi artistes -- Ayub Bachchu, Nashid Kamal, Ankhi Alamgir, Kamolika and Bharat Fakir will perform today. Bangladeshi singer Shopnil Shojib will perform on January 10. Bangladeshi delicacies will be displayed at the festival to represent the country's rich cuisine,” said Krishna Kumar Das.

The festival, featuring performances by noted Kolkata based artistes like Jeet Ganguly, Nachiketa, Lopamudra Mitra, Indranil Sen, Chandrabindu, Rupankar, Rupam Islam and Emon Chakrabarty, will be held on the concluding day on January 14.