The New Nation - Internet Edition

DU Correspondent

The nation and elsewhere of the world celebrates the English New Year amid gaiety and with new hopes and anticipations. The people of the country celebrated the upcoming 'New Year', mostly popular to urban young people, with different programmes and festivities amid tight security to prevent any untoward incident.

When the clock strike at 12 midnight, thousands of passionate young joined the celebrations to greet the year 2009-this time at an important juncture in national life for the democratic transition underway.

The revellers arranged parties in clubs and hotels as well as at homes. Different organisations in the diplomatic enclaves of Baridhara, Gulshan, Banani, Dhanmondi and Dhaka University will hold programmes to welcome the New Year.

They sent SMS over mobile phone and exchange greetings with wishes for a prosperous and happy new year.

Besides, youngsters celebrated the 31st night amid tight security with huge enthusiasm in the capital and elsewhere of the country. Young men and women came out on the streets in hordes to have fun.

Amid tightened security, different posh hotels arranged some programmes featuring concerts, fashion show, dance show, choreography and raffle draw early hours of January 1.

President Prof Iajuddin Ahmed and Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed issued congratulatory messages to the nation marking the day.

Awami League president and Prime Minster-hopeful Sheikh Hasina and BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia in separate message also greeted the countrymen on the occasion.

In his message Dr Iajuddin Ahmed said the celebration of the English New Year is closely related to national culture in the country.

Wishing that the New Year might bring progress and prosperity in everyone's personal family and national life he said, "As we often use English calendar in our daily life, it influences us a lot."

Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed said, "I hope the New Year may bring immense happiness, peace and success in everybody's life, leaving the old and worn-out, failure and fatigue behind."

He also hoped the door of enormous potential of Bangladesh would be opened up and a golden future created by the united efforts of all irrespective of party and opinion.

Over 3,000 police personnel had been put on overnight duty in the capital early night to look on as revellers celebrate the 31st night up to sunrise on the New Year Day. Besides, plainclothes police of Detective Branch also deployed in the city.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Naim Ahmed Wednesday said the law-enforcers wouldn't prevent celebration if it doesn't impede normal life of the commoners.