The Seasons of Bangladesh

Bangladesh is a country of six seasons: summer, the rains, autumn (Bhadra and Ashwin) late autumn (Katrik and Agrahayan) winter, and spring which is the shortest season. Each consists of two month while everyone either begins earlier or lasts longer. Every season has its own beauty and wealth, diversities, natural beauties and gifts. Summer is outstanding in the richness of fruits and significance. The rainy season, whose natural beauties make all Bangladeshi poets minus gifts for composing poems and songs, helps the growth of vegetation crops and fishes. Exceptional is the winter in social festivities and feasting and morning specialties and early autumn, in Sharadya moon, moonlit night in the clear sky and the heat for ripening palmyria fruit. Late autumn is characterized by a landscape of crops, abundance and happy smile of the farmers. Whereas Spring once called the king of seasons, is typified by life awakening, budding and spouting and with bees and butterflies moving from plant to plant amidst blowing of sweet southerly breezes. 8th Falgun is the sacred day for us the martyre of the language movement made in 1952 their supreme sacrifice.

In summer a change in nature and on earth occurs amidst some destruction and sufferings of people. Some, specially, in north Bangladesh, even die from heat wave. But the pain and ordeal are amply compensated by the season's riches and significance. It is the beginning of hot days, gradually the hottest days of the year. The heat continues a couple of days, a chain of several days making it unbearable. The earth then is sun-baked, cracks are seen on the fields. Ponds, beels, ditches, wells etc. are almost dry. Farmers with mathal on their heads and workers or labourers work bare headed. Trees seem exhausted and still. Birds under the shade of trees appear taking rest. Workers cannot work for long hours. People's thirst increases. People in village and towns stay indoors, except on an urgent piece of business, to escape oppressive heat and discomforting sweat. They implore to Allah for rains but sudden & fierce kalbaishaki and killing human beings and domestic animals. Then an intense relief follows. Peot Nazrul Islam welcomes it as the banner of the newly born in death, others philosophize: our sesired gain is got by some suffering and loss.

However, summer is the start of the comming of rain, the appearance of vegetation and greenery, the beginning of filling up of ponds, diverse beels, canals, rivers and the growth of fishes. Bigger size hilsa make their frist appearance. Red polash, shimul, krishna chura, Radns chura and most fragrant beli and rajani ghanda, are summer flowers. Vegetables of this season are data, chichinga, jhinga, barbati, swasa, sajna, kakrol, and pui and pat potherbs but no other seasons offer such varieties of abundant nutritious and medicinally useful fruits as summer. Much of national fruits is obtained this season. Mango, the king of fruits, jack fruit, the largest and our national fruit, water-melon large in size quenching our thirst, bhangi, chinal delicious lichis, and blackberries are summer fruits. Chapa banana, coconut, papay, fruits of all seasons, are found in abundance in summer. Sagar and sabri bananas which are specialities of summer are noted for their singular taste, sweetness, and nutrition. pineapples, soft delicious kernel of palmyra fruit, star fruit, jamrul. karamcha, make their first appearance.

Summer holds out for every Bangladeshi excitement, joy and significance as its first day i.e., Pahela Baisakh is our new year day. The whole country is enlivened with the spirit of Baisakh, its message of newness, hope and promise. It brings to life our whole cultural, festive, social and economic entity. Every Bangladeshi is made conscious every year of his culture, uniqueness, unity and heritage in words and deeds. The whole country celebrates the Day with pride and enthusiasm.

Bangladeshi take pride in and feel enthusiasm for the rainy season of Asharh and Sraban. Because it presents a spectacle well-watered, highly productive and of luxuriant growth of greenery and crops under a sky often overcast with black clouds. The clouds begin rolling slowly across the sky, then swiftly along with the violent wind, lighting sparkles the dark sky and thunder roars from behind it. The dark firmament overhead appears threatening, the earth is enveloped in darkness. Beginning in drizzles, the rains pour down heavily hours together, continue at times all day or a week with intervals of drizzles and light fall of rains. The thirsty and baked earth, nay, the whole nature, it seems, ends the torture of the extremely hot days of summer. Fields after fields and low go under water. Water, water is very where. Aquatic life is rejuvenated. Fishes, moving hither and thither, look sportive and joyous. Trees, plants and greens have attained a new life. What a treasure of raptures and fine feelings for human beings, for the Bangladeshis! Many poets such as Kalidas, Rabindranath, Kazi Nazrul Islam and Jassimuddun have composed poems about the cloud or the season. We are transported to a state of indifference to worldly desires and objects. People have to go out with umbrella, children enjoy getting drenched or are sportive. Kutcha roads become muddy and slippery, normal activities are hampered. Countess hilsha fishes are caught. Catching of fish becomes a joyous and festive occasion. Vegetables and fruits are available in abundance. Rains clean roads & drains and wash away garbages. Different diseases break out and there occur from time to time flash floods or severe floods which belittle immense benefit of the season.

Winter is free from occurrences of floods, cyclones and storms and other troubles of the summer and the summer and the rainy season. The season is looked upon as the king of seasons. The proclaimer of it is Rabindranath Tagore, though he has written a number of poems about the rainy season and even if, the aient epic "Barsha Mongal" proclaims the blessings of rains. Our winter days are sunny, temperate, not so cold, foggy, or much rain fallings as in U.K. In winter people can be more productive and can work hard for long hours. It is found that the season increases 40% productivity. It is said that Japan developed because it was a temperate country. Ibne Khaldun or Montesqui in their enquires into the social development correlated or explained social organisations on the basis of climatic and topographical conditions. There is a saying in American South that "Refrigeration and air conditioning made civilization". A village winter morning is distinct from mornings of other seasons. The sky is misty. The sun rises late, often thick mist makes the sun invisible. It pervades trees, fielda and roads. Dewdrops make them moist. They like pearls glitter in the first rays of the sun. The village, are colder than town. Villagers lit fire, the old and children in particular sit around the fire to warm their bodies. Their breakfast is unlike that of towns'. The rural people have as breakfast various winter cakes bhapa pitha, chitoi, patisapta, phul pitha, etc. patali, other molasses and data juice. Gachhy, the collector of data juice, is a common sight of winter morning. Winter is favorable to cricket and tennis because the players can play the games the whole day without getting tired. The season is most congenial for diverse celebrations, ceremonies and functions. It is a good season for holding out-door games, athletic competition or sports meet. Exhibitions and fairs are normally held in this season. Organizers for open air performances of jatra, drama or music concert prefer this season. Near the bank of the Tuag river, Bishwa Ijtema, the greatest congregation of muslims after the Hajj is held evey year. Winter brings in its special vegetables: cauliflower, cabbage, tomato, motorsuti, bottle gourd, shalgam and motor, palang and lal potherbs. Winter is suitable for the growth of lai, magur, shingh, etc. Plum, orange, grapes, and so on are particular offerings of winter. Winter comes with obvious marks of novelties including colourful warm clothes. It becomes a season of festivity, and excitement for most of us. Therefore most of us like the season best.

The late autumn is characterized as season of plenty, of crops. Field after have crops or ripening crops or ripening crops that are ready for harvesting and jute is made ready for sale. Farmers are happy and have contented smile as they reap the reward of their hard work. Kamini, jui and sheuli are blossoms of the season. Flowers of various kinds gada, surjamuki, dalia, poppy, pansy pituia, & so on, beautify the spring and make the air balmy and fragrant. Trees, plants put on new leaves. Melodious song of the cuckoo and fascinating words of Bau katha kao transport us to the situation of romantic tales. Beauty, aesthetic beauty and romantic love have little or no place in the all pervasive materialistic world of to day. Hence is the dethronement of spring, the king of seasons.

Not only are we deeply impressed by their outward appearances. Our spiritual being is touched upon profoundly by the seasons. They move deeply Bangladeshi's with distinct moods, emotions and attitudes. Many more sensations, feeling and such like are brought in. All, then enriched us with acuteness and intensity.