BSS, Rangpur: A two-day traditional Boat Race (‘Nauka Baich’) competition in the river Ghaghot ended through a prize distribution ceremony held at Hossain Nagar Ghat point in Ward No-33 of Rangpur City Corporation (RpCC) on Sunday.
Eight teams from different upazilas of Rangpur and adjoining districts participated in the competition. The teams were ‘Pagla baba’, ‘Sonar Tori-2’, ‘Sonar Tori-2’, ‘Swashur Jamai’, ‘Srestha Tori’, ‘Banglar Bahadur’, ‘Tufan’ and ‘Jhapur’.
Local youths’ organisation ‘Hossain Nagar Jubo Samaj Sangha’ organised the boat race for the eighth consecutive year this time in the river Ghaghot from Pairaband union in Mithapukur upazila to Hossain Nagar Ghat in Rangpur city.
Earlier, Mithapukur Upazila Parishad Chairman and General Secretary of Mithapukur Upazila Awami League Zakir Hossain Sarker inaugurated the boat race in a function arranged at the Pairaband union end on Saturday afternoon. With Councilor of Ward No-33 of Rangpur City Corporation Sirajul Islam Siraj in the chair, Mayor of Rangpur Mostafizar Rahman Mostafa attended the function as the chief guest. President of Pairaband union Awami League Ataur Rahman Chowdhury and representative of Hossain Nagar Jubo Samaj Sangha Abdur Razzaque also addressed.
Addressing the function, Mayor of Rangpur Mostafizar Rahman Mostafa favoured arranging competitions frequently on traditional boat races that entertained people for centuries across the country.
“Alongside entertaining common people, ‘Nauka Baich’ has been remaining as a part and parcel of Bengali culture, literature and heritage everywhere in riverine Bangladesh for time immemorial,” he said.