Bengali New Year procession renamed as ‘Boishakhi Shobhajatra’

From now on, the annual procession organised by the Fine Arts Institute of Dhaka University on Bengali New Year will be known as ‘Boishakhi Shobhajatra’, according to Cultural Affairs Minister Advocate Nitai Roy Chowdhury. 

The minister made the announcement while speaking to reporters at the Secretariat on Sunday.

He stated that the government wants to put an end to the ongoing controversy surrounding the name of the Pahela Boishakh procession. 

Previously, the procession from the Fine Arts Institute was called ‘Ananda Shobhajatra’ last year and ‘Mangal Shobhajatra’ before that.

The minister added that all other traditional arrangements for Pahela Boishakh, including the Chhayanaut New Year celebrations at the foot of the Ramna, will continue as usual. 

The procession from the Fine Arts Institute will retain all its usual features and cultural elements.