Following the usual tradition, the Institute organizes a colourful carnival cum procession where people, from all walks of life, along with the participation of first and second year students.

"We are expecting a very large and positive response this year too," said Abdul Aziz, a teacher and member of Pahela Baisakh Udjapan Parishad of the Institute. He said Grameen Phone will sponsor the carnival.

The programme will begin at ten in the morning from the institute and go through Doel Chattar, Ramna and Shahbagh, and wind up at the same venue. "The entire programme is so vivacious and spontaneous. I am eagerly waiting to take part in the procession," said Tania Ahmed, a student of Dhaka University.

This celebration has, in fact, has turned into a part of our culture," said Selimuzzaman, a fresh graduate from Dhaka College. "For me, the celebration of Pahela Baishakh will be incomplete if I can not attend the procession that the Fine Arts Institute organise," he added.

The organisers said every year they try to bring something new in the carnival. "This time it will be a long python and the national bird Doel and a rooster," said one of them. He dismissed any implication of fundamentalism being personified by the python. "The python is also a part of our culture. Think of those snake charmers, whose livelihood solely depends on this business," he said.

As the frames of the long python and the national bird Doel are seen covered up by coloured paper by some of the students at the Institute premises, the sight of happy, jovial students making masks and other items attract passers-by.

Apart from the procession, the Institute has also arranged two jatra shows in the evening of second and third days of Baishakh. The students themselves will stage one while professionals will perform in the other. In addition, the traditional cultural programme will be held at the Bakultala of the Institute. "We welcome the New Year with songs, poetry and lots of colour," Aziz said.

When asked the organisers said no sense of insecurity prevails there. "Why should we feel insecure when we are not doing anything wrong," Syed Ashraf, a class seven student.

However, the organisers said they have requested the Dhaka University authorities to take adequate security measures. "We made the request just to be on the safe side," said one of them.