Staff Correspondent, Narayanganj

This year (2025), the grand pilgrimage bathing festival of Langalbandh for Sanatan Dharma followers will take place on April 4-5. Preparations for the event have already begun in the Langalbandh area of Bandar Upazila, Narayanganj district.

In 2024, the festival was inaugurated on April 15 at 4:25 PM with the lighting of the auspicious lamp by Hindu leaders of Narayanganj. The bathing rituals continued until April 16 at 4:56 PM.

While the festival was held across 19 bathing ghats in 2023, an additional ghat was introduced in 2024, bringing the total to 20. Moreover, arrangements were made for devotees to bathe on the eastern bank of the Brahmaputra River in Sonargaon Thana.

However, the main event and the key ghats—such as Rajghat, the historic Mahatma Gandhi Ghat, Premtala Ghat, and Kalighat—were on the western bank, where the highest concentration of devotees gathered. Millions of devotees participated in the sacred bathing ritual. Due to the extreme heat last year, many pilgrims were seen leaving Langalbandh soon after completing their baths.

To oversee this year's Langalbandh bathing festival, a front committee has been established. With the festival scheduled for April 4-5, the newly formed committee aims to ensure the safety of incoming pilgrims and protect the interests of the Sanatan community.

On Saturday, March 15, a meeting was held at the Nitai Ganj Sri Sri Baladev Jiu Akhra and Shiva Temple, bringing together both senior and junior members of the Sanatan community in Narayanganj. The meeting marked the formal launch of the Langalbandh Bathing Festival Celebration Front.

The meeting began with a reading from the sacred Bhagavad Gita, followed by a minute of silence to honor the souls of 10 devotees who lost their lives in a tragic stampede in 2015. Presided over by Nani Gopal Saha, the event's chief guest was Aparna Roy Das, the president of the Central Committee of the Bangladesh Puja Celebration Front. During the session, attendees expressed their support for Aparna Roy Das to lead the organization of the Langalbandh festival.

After listening to the attendees, Nani Gopal Saha announced that Aparna Roy Das would serve as the president of the Langalbandh Bathing Festival Celebration Front Committee. The committee consists of 101 members, including representatives from various Hindu social organizations and Langalbandh service camps.

Following support from the younger generation, Joy K. Roy Chowdhury Bappi was named the General Secretary, and Nani Gopal Saha was appointed Chief Advisor by the newly elected president, Aparna Roy Das.

Commitments for a Well-Organized Festival :

During her speech, Aparna Roy Das emphasized the deep connection between Dhaka and Narayanganj and pledged to work towards the safety and security of pilgrims at this internationally significant pilgrimage site. She urged the people of Narayanganj, especially the youth, to support these efforts.

The event was attended by several distinguished guests, including Advocate Sakhawat Hossain Khan, Convener of Narayanganj Metropolitan BNP, Advocate Abu Al Yusuf Khan Tipu, Member Secretary, Swapan Kumar Das, Assistant Secretary at the Ministry of Public Administration, former trustee of the Hindu Religious Welfare Trust Paritosh Kanti Saha, former councilors of Narayanganj City Corporation Asit Baran Biswas and Abul Kawsar Asha, senior vice president of the Central Puja Celebration Front Subash Chandra Das, Joint Secretary of the Central Hindu Buddhist Christian Welfare Front and Vice President of the Puja Front Samir Sarkar, and many other prominent leaders and social workers.

Concerns Over Pollution in the Brahmaputra River ;

Shipon Sarker Shikhon, General Secretary of the Bangladesh Puja Celebration Council (Narayanganj District), stated that the Langalbandh pilgrimage site has been hosting the Astami Snan festival for centuries. The festival is held along a three-kilometer stretch of the old Brahmaputra River, near the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway. Every year, the district and upazila administrations take comprehensive security and logistical measures for the safety of the pilgrims. These include clearing water hyacinths from the river, setting up changing areas, providing clean drinking water, installing electric lighting at bathing ghats, and ensuring adequate sanitation facilities.

However, concerns have been raised regarding industrial pollution. The Hindu community alleges that chemical waste from unregulated factories and dyeing plants is contaminating the river, making it difficult for devotees to bathe safely.

According to Hindu beliefs, Lord Vishnu’s incarnation, Parashurama, was freed from his sins by bathing in the waters of the Brahmaputra River at Langalbandh. This sacred tradition, rooted in the Mahabharata, continues to draw millions of devotees from across the subcontinent who seek purification by bathing in the river.

Environmental Challenges and Official Responses

Jharnarani, a priestess at Sri Sri Lalit Sadhu’s Ashram, mentioned that chemical waste from the Total Fashion Garment and Dyeing Factory is being discharged into the river, turning the water unsafe for bathing. Many local Hindu families have reportedly stopped bathing in the Brahmaputra due to skin irritation and other health concerns caused by the pollution.

Leaders of the Langalbandh Bathing Festival Celebration Committee pointed out that waste from Bashar Paper Mill, Jamaluddin Textile, and Dyeing Mill is also being discharged into the river, discoloring the water and emitting a foul odor. They urged immediate action to address the growing environmental crisis.

According to the Bandar Upazila administration, the district administration ensures comprehensive arrangements for a safe and smooth bathing festival each year. Facilities include changing rooms, adequate lighting, clean drinking water, medical services with a 10-bed temporary hospital, five medical teams, and ten ambulances on standby.