Hope springs in colours, songs...............

Residents of capital Dhaka poured out of their habitual pens onto the streets Friday to welcome spring, the season of hope, not just with colours but with songs, dance.

They embraced the carefree environment spraying the spring colours and fragrances.

The celebrated Battala of Dhaka University, the book fair at Bangla Academy and the Fine Arts Institute premises were peopled with the youths donning the bright orange, yellow and red—throwing into the air mischievous, flaming invitations out to the wiling revellers.

Baul minstrel Shah Abdul Karim's song "Basanto batashe..." floats in the air as one browses through new arrivals at the book fair on Pahela Falgun, the day one of the Bengali month of Falgun, the official harbinger of spring.

People of all ages and callings—old and young alike—flocked to the places specially to say hello to each other and greet the season of free spirit, jollities and abundance.

The Fine Arts Institute kicked off its daylong celebrations as early as at 6:30am and its Bakultala is set to remain crammed until at least 8 pm, with kids getting their cherubic faces painted gaily by the fine arts students, songsters rendering Bengali patriotic and seasonal songs.

Young men and women sporting their Bashanti (saffon) kurta-pajama and sarees have flocked to the Teacher-Student Centre and surrounding places.

Irfan Jakaria and Tishua Nashtara, students of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology told us that they had ventured out to witness the book fair for the first time Friday, as it is also the first day of Falgun.

Like Irfan and Nashtara, Benu, Shakil, Sajjad, Shefali and Basantee have also come to the book fair to meet friends, greet buddies and buy books. The publishers also agreed that the sales have swollen on the occasion.

Rabindra Sarobar at Dhanmandi is hosting a musical programme in the afternoon, where star performers are set to enchant the citizens, which will include dance and recitations too.