Schools, colleges across Bangladesh to celebrate Pohela Boishakh with festivities

The move comes through a joint effort between the Education and Cultural Affairs Ministries.

Education authorities have instructed all educational institutions across Bangladesh to organise festive celebrations for Pohela Boishakh, the Bengali New Year.

The decision was taken at a meeting held at the Ministry of Cultural Affairs on Mar 23. Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, the cultural affairs advisor, presided over the meeting.

On Monday, an order was issued with the instruction, which has been sent to field-level education officers and the heads of both government and private schools and colleges.

Khalid Hossain, assistant director of the general administrative branch of the directorate, told bdnews24.com: "A decision was made in the meeting with the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, to celebrate the Bengali New Year in a festive and grand manner in all educational institutions, arranged by the institution themselves. The minutes of that meeting have been sent to educational institutions with instructions to make arrangements to celebrate the event."

The meeting minutes state that all educational institutions must celebrate the Bengali New Year in a festive atmosphere.

This decision will be implemented by the Ministry of Education's Secondary and Higher Education Division, Technical and Madrasah Education Division, and Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, who have also received the meeting minutes.

The upcoming Pohela Boishakh will mark the beginning of the new Bengali year 1432.

The festivities will begin with the traditional Pohela Boishakh programme by Chhayanaut at the capital’s Ramna Batamul.

Afterwards, a colourful procession, Mongol Shobhajatra, will take place at the University of Dhaka. The theme for this year's Mongol Shobhajatra has been set as "New Year's United Song, the End of Fascism."

Mongol Shobhajatra was given the status of Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 2016. The following year, the Ministry of Cultural Affairs decided to celebrate the Mongol Shobhajatra in districts and Upazilas across the country.