Dhaka, Apr 14 (IANS): Bangladesh on Friday welcomed the Bengali New Year, Pohela Boishakh, with much enthusiasm and colourful celebrations, a media report said.

Octogenarian artiste-cultural activist Sanjida Khatun's organisation Chhayanaut held programmes at the Ramna Batamul here at Friday morning to welcome Boishakh where its in-house artistes have been performing since 6 a.m, Dhaka Tribune reported.

Besides, the cultural organisation is also celebrating its 50th anniversary.

The first day of the Hindu lunar calendar Boisakh marks the beginning of the Bengali New Year, and is celebrated with much enthusiasm.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina greeted the people on the occasion. She asked them not to get confused and to celebrate the occasion peacefully. The festival has nothing to do with any religion, she added, bdnews24.com reported.

Security has been stepped up around the Ramna Batamul. Police are not allowing anyone to enter the area with any kind of bags, the Dhaka Tribune reported.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police are giving out free bottled drinking water to women, children and the elderly people.

The police have ordered to wrap up open-air events in Dhaka before 5 p.m. and said such programmes on the Dhaka University campus must end before 6 p.m.

Ministries have this year taken initiatives to celebrate Pohela Boishakh with more importance after the Mongol Shobhajatra (auspicious procession of Pohela Boisakh) was inscribed by the Unesco as Intangible Cultural Heritage last year.

The government has ordered all the educational institutions to bring out Shobhajatra.