DHAKA, Jan 14, 2026 (BSS) - The traditional festival of old Dhaka—Sakrain, also known as Poush Sankranti or the kite festival was celebrated today.  Today marks the last day of the Bangla month of Poush. Every year, the Sakrain festival is celebrated on the final day of Poush. On the occasion of Sakrain, kites were flown during the day time while fireworks, fire shows and laser displays were held in various areas of old Dhaka from the evening.  Rooftops of residential buildings were decorated with colourful lights, while the night sky was filled with multicoloured flying lanterns. Alongside these, musical programmes were arranged on rooftops and in open spaces. Sound systems, decorative lighting, laser shows and illumination have been set up on rooftops in and around Shankharibazar, Tantibazar, Banglabazar, Sutrapur and Lalbagh areas of old Dhaka. People from different parts of Dhaka city thronged the old Dhaka to celebrate the festival. The main attraction of Sakrain is the kite-flying and kite-fighting competition. From morning till evening today, the skies over Old Dhaka were alive with kite battles.  On this occasion, shops in Shankharibazar have seen a surge in the sale of kites of various sizes and qualities.  Available kites include Superman, China, chequered, eagle, rocket, star, tekka, love-shaped and many other varieties. Prices of individual kites range from TK  10 to TK  500, while kite packages with reels cost between TK 100 and TK  1,000. Additionally, depending on quality, kite strings were sold at prices ranging from TK 80 to TK  3,000. Local residents said preparations for the Sakrain festival begin several weeks in advance. Shopkeepers in particular remained busy making kites and lanterns ahead of the celebration. Lalbagh resident Wahiduzzaman Mashfi said, “The real joy of Sakrain lies in flying kites. All members of our family gather on the rooftop to fly kites together. Cutting others’ kites is our main goal, so we bought many kites. At the same time, we have arranged music on our rooftop to mark Sakrain.” Raisha Islam, a resident of Shingtola, said, “I was born and grown up in old Dhaka. On the occasion of Sakrain, various types of pitha and food are prepared at our home. There is also music on the rooftop at night. Friends of mine come from faraway places to visit us during Sakrain. It is truly a unique festival.”

KHULNA, Jan 14, 2026 (BSS) - Speakers highlighted the importance and significance of the referendum, saying it is a democratic process through which crucial decisions are taken based on the direct opinion of the people.  They stressed the need to create widespread awareness to ensure spontaneous participation of voters. Speakers made the remarks at a public awareness meeting, held at Dighalia upazila in Khulna on Wednesday to enhance public awareness ahead of the upcoming Referendum 2026. The meeting took place at the Dighalia Upazila Parishad auditorium, organised by the Dighalia upazila administration. Dighalia UNO Md Harun-Or- Rashid, presided over the event while A. S. M. Jamshed Khondker, Deputy Commissioner and Returning Officer of Khulna, addressed as the chief guest. Nurul Hai Mohammad Anas, Additional District Magistrate of Khulna, addressed the programme as special guest. Lieutenant Commander Ashfaq Hossain of the Bangladesh Navy, Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Dr. Md. Mahbubul Alam, Livestock Officer Dr. Mahmuda Sultana, and OC (Investigation) Probir Kumar Biswas, among others, were addressed.  Upazila Information Service Officer Saida Khatun conducted the programme. Officials from different government departments, public representatives, journalists, members of civil society and people from various professions attended the meeting. In his address, Deputy Commissioner A. S. M. Jamshed Khondker said participation in a referendum allows people to be directly involved in the state decision-making process.  He emphasised that, alongside the administration, the media and conscious citizens have an important role to play in ensuring a free, fair and acceptable referendum. Additional District Magistrate Nurul Hai Mohammad Anas said correct information about the referendum must be delivered to the people, while misleading information should be prevented and neutral campaigning ensured. Journalists present raised various questions related to the referendum, which were clearly explained by the administration. Discussions were also held on voters' responsibilities on polling day, voting procedures and law and order issues. Later, participants pledged to work from their respective positions to raise public awareness for the successful conduct of Referendum 2026.