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A three-day festival of folksongs, organised by the Asiatic Society of Bangladesh, began on the Society’s premises in Neemtali in the city on Wednesday.
   Eminent folklorist Dr Ashraf Siddiquee inaugurated the festival as chief guest while the inaugural session was chaired by Professor Sirajul Islam, president of the Society. Professor Mahfuza Khanam, secretary general of the Society and poet Nurul Huda, chief coordinator of the festival also spoke at the inaugural session.
   Dr Ashraf Siddiquee said that the folksongs, particularly the baul songs, strongly uphold the spirit of humanity. ‘We had a music world of over one hundred folksongs in the past. Unfortunately, we are getting only around forty of them,’ Siddiquee continued, ‘We should take immediate initiatives to collect and preserve them.’
   He added that the folksongs, including spiritual, romantic and regional songs, had been attracting the Bengalis and the music lovers of the other nations for centuries.
   Professor Sirajul Islam said, ‘The folksongs not only meet the thirst of the music lovers but also presents the history of the country.’
   He added that the songs, which would be presented during the festival, would be documented visually so that the people of next generation could acquire sound knowledge of those songs.
   He further said that the music troupes had been invited from different parts of country so that the listeners could enjoy the authentic style of the folksongs.
   Over three hundred folksingers across the country are enlisted in performing in the festival while 27 research papers will be read on those days.
   On the first session of the inaugural day Mazharul Islam presented a keynote paper on the folksongs in Rajshahi division while Paritosh Kundu presented the folksongs of greater Pabna district and Shaheed Sarwar presented the folksongs of greater Bogra district.
   In the second session, Nazmul Haque presented a paper on the folksong in greater Dinajpur district and Motahar Hossain Sufi on the folksongs of greater Rangpur district.
   In the third session, Mijanur Rahman presented a paper on the folksongs of Khulna division while Debashish Chakrabarti presented the folksongs in Barisal division and Mazharul islam and Cornelius Murmu jointly presented the Santali folksongs.
   Eleven music groups performed in the music part of the festival. They sang gambhira, alkap, jhandir, Santal, panchali, kichhchhagaan, patagaan,
   palagaan, rayani murshidi, bhatiyali and other genres of folksongs.
   Today’s seminar will begin at 9:30am and the session on music will begin at 3:00pm.

Pop star Michael Jackson could lose his Neverland ranch if he fails to pay nearly $25m (£12.5m) that he owes on the sprawling California property.
   If Mr Jackson does not pay more than three months’ arrears on the property it will go to auction on 19 March, a Santa Barbara official told the BBC.
   The reclusive singer has not lived at the property since his acquittal on child molestation charges in 2005.
   He bought Neverland in 1987 intending to create a fantasy-land for children.
   It is named after an island in the story Peter Pan, where children never grow up.
   After he purchased Neverland, Mr Jackson built a zoo and fairground on the 2,800 acre (1,100 hectare) property north-west of Santa Barbara.
   It was closed in 2006 after he failed to pay his staff or maintain proper insurance.
   According to court documents cited by Fox News, the auction is to include the
   house and everything on the estate including ‘all ferris wheels, carousels, merry-go-round type devices... and all amusement ride equipment and facilities of every kind or nature’.