Labhpur: 'Annaprashan' or rice ceremony of infant, Swapnodorshi, was held in West Bengal's Birbhum district instead of his maternal house in Bangladesh due to the ongoing unrest there.
Swapnodorshi's maternal uncle, who resigned from the post of secretary, Dhaka University and is in India on medical visa, fed rice to the child.
A unique scene was witnessed at the Annaprashan as the guest list included the family's pet dog, 'Ghontu', who fed rice and blessed the toddler, along with other relatives on Friday. Apart from following the usual rituals, the family celebrated the occasion by releasing white pigeons in the sky, fish in the pond and planting saplings.
Swapnodorshi's father, Krishnendu Bera is a resident of West Bengal's Purba Medinipur district and his mother, Shipra Rani Sarkar hails from Dhaka. While his father is a businessman and cultural activist by profession, his mother works as an assistant librarian at Dhaka University. The couple had got married two and a half years ago. Swapnodorshi was born in Dhaka and stays with his mother.
In view of the current situation in Bangladesh, where inviting guests and getting visas are difficult, the couple decided to hold the Annaprashan in West Bengal. Thus the ceremony was organised at Gurukul Natya Ashram in Birbhum's Labhpur, the birthplace of noted writer Tarashankar Bandopadhyay.
The venue turned into a meeting place of two Bengals along with several eminent personalities. Padma Shri recipient and folk singer Ratan Kahar, Bangashree recipient Kartik Das Baul, Bishu Daktar alias Sukumar Chandra, known as Tarashankar Bandopadhyay's doctor, Shanti Maharaj of Bharat Sevashram in Bolpur and many others were invited at the ceremony.
Ujjwal Mukherjee, Gurukul Natya Ashram founder and playwright, said, "The Annaprashan was supposed to be held in Dhaka but due to the current situation in the country, Swapnodorshi's parents decided to organise it in a place where the two Bengals could meet. So, this ashram was chosen for the event. Swapnodorshi is a citizen of Bangladesh but the way his parents wanted to organise his rice ceremony would not have been possible in the neighbouring country."
Swapnodorshi's parents said, "In the current situation, it is not possible to meet our relatives. There is also a visa problem. We got our visas with great difficulty. Also, we would not have found such a cordial environment with so many talented people at one platform anywhere. So, we organised this event here."
What started as student protest against a controversial job quota system in Bangladesh escalated into a nationwide crisis, prompting Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to flee the country on August 5, 2024. Hindu monk Swami Chinmoy Prabhu was arrested at Dhaka Airport in November, 2024, triggering widespread protests. Currently, there are reports of attacks and vandalism on minorities.
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