Dhaka, April 6 — A petition has been filed in the High Court seeking a permanent ban on the ‘Mangal Shobhajatra’ procession held during Pahela Baishakh, according to BD News 24. The move has revived debate over the UNESCO-recognised cultural parade that marks the Bengali New Year.
Supreme Court lawyer Mahmudul Hassan submitted the petition, asking the court to bar authorities from organising, approving or promoting the procession in any form. He described the decades-old practice as “artificial” and “contrary to religious faith,” arguing it offends majority religious sentiments and therefore undermines communal harmony, public safety and national stability.
The petition names as respondents the secretaries of the ministries of culture, religion and home affairs, the Dhaka deputy commissioner, the vice-chancellor of Dhaka University and the dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts.
Hassan told the court the parade is not an ancient Bengali tradition but a modern initiative that began in 1989 as “Anondo Shobhajatra.” He said the event’s large replicas of birds, fish and animals—intended to invoke “Mangal” (well-being)—conflict with Islamic beliefs, which, he contends, hold that blessings should be sought only from God.
The filing also recalled that after the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government the interim administration under Muhammad Yunus reportedly removed the word “Mangal” from the procession’s name. For the upcoming 1433 Bengali New Year, Dhaka University announced on March 30 that the event would be held as “Anondo Shobhajatra.”
The procession received international recognition in 2016, when UNESCO added it to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The recent dispute over the event’s name drew social media criticism and prompted a response from Culture Minister Nitai Roy Chowdhury, who said there was “no need” to change the name during the interim and later indicated the official title this year would be “Baishakhi Shobhajatra.”
BD News 24 reports the petitioner is seeking court orders to prevent officials from organising or promoting the procession. (ANI)
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