On the first day of Bangla calendar 1431, with the participation of 650 artists for three consecutive days, the 14 km All-weather Road through Haor areas from Zero Point of Mithamain Upazila of Kishoreganj to Ashtogram of same district was painted with Alpona motifs using more than 12,000 liters of paint. Organizers claim that, this is the longest Alpona drawing in the world. They will also apply to register it in the Guinness Book of World Records. Which has been titled as Alponay Baisakh-1431 festival.
On Sunday, April 14 and the first day of Bangla calendar, the State Minister for Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak concluded the Baisakhi festival in Alpona with a stroke of brush at Mithamoin Zero Point at 10:30 am.
He said to the media persons that Banglalink has taken such an initiative as a result of which on one hand we are enjoying the joy of the New Year, on the other hand the traditional Haor areas of Mithamoin, Ashtogram and Itna are now has appeared as a wonderful road that the Honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has made under the leadership of our former President Abdul Hamid. It has become one of the most popular tourist areas. I think the Bangla year 1431 has given us a new dimension through this arrangement of Banglalink by drawing the longest Alpona in the world. This level of celebrating the New Year beyond the national boundaries is going to place it in the Guinness World Book Records at the international level. As a result, our Haor based tourism center is now not only focused at the national level; but also will attract many foreign tourists. It is a historic achievement.
The state minister also said that the way Banglalink has contributed to the progress of digital Bangladesh, now they will play a role in the formation of Smart Bangladesh.
Member of Parliament for Kishoreganj-4 Constituency Rezwan Ahmed Taufiq, Zilla Parishad Chairman valiant freedom fighter Advocate Md. Zillur Rahman, Acting Chief Executive Officer of Banglalink Taimur Rahman, Managing Director of Berger Paints Bangladesh Limited Rupali Chowdhury, Managing Director of Asiatic Three Sixty Group YouTuber Tauhid Afridi and others were present
Banglalink’s Chief Corporate and Regulatory Affairs Officer Taimur Rahman expressed his enthusiasm about the event and said, ‘Banglalink is deeply responsible for celebrating the cultural heritage and diverse festivals of Bangladesh. Pohela Boishakh, the biggest cultural festival of the country, is the most important among all these festivals. This event is an attempt to highlight the culture and native festivals of Bangladesh to future generations.
Berger Paints Bangladesh Limited Managing Director Rupali Chowdhury said ‘This participation in setting a world record in Alpona shows our dedication to making history by challenging our own abilities. We hope to celebrate such a colorful and memorable Baisakh in the days to come.’
Iresh Zaker, Managing Director of Asiatic 360 Group, expressed his joy and said, ‘These nationwide Baisakhi events are an expression of Bengali culture and creativity. We are very happy to jointly organize ‘Alponay Boishakh 1431’ with Banglalink and Berger.