Govt to organise 'Mangal Shobhajatra' processions across Bangladesh this year

The government has decided to organise Bangla New Year procession 'Mangal Shobhajatra' in Dhaka and elsewhere in the country at the next Pahela Baishakh.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 27 Feb 2017, 02:53 PM
Updated : 27 Feb 2017, 04:39 PM

The decision came after the UNESCO put the traditional parade on the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity last year.

Cultural Affairs Minister Asaduzzaman Noor revealed the information at the beginning of an inter-ministerial meeting on the Pahela Baishakh celebrations at Bangla Academy on Monday.

“This year, besides the capital, the procession will be organised in districts, Upazilas and union council levels,” the minister said.

The Faculty of Fine Arts of Dhaka University has been organising the procession since 1989 which is called 'Mangal Shobhajatra'.

It is said that an organisation called 'Charupeethh' first organised a procession in Jessore in 1985 to celebrate the Bangla New Year with puppets, masks and music.

Considering the procession an intrinsic part of Bengali culture and heritage, the UNESCO put it on the List of ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity’ last year.

It recognised that the festival represents ‘solidarity and shared value for democracy, uniting people irrespective of cast, creed, religion, gender or age'.

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