Staff Reporter:
Bangla New Year will be celebrated this year in the name of ‘Borshoboron Ananda Shobhajatra’ instead of ‘Mangal Shobhajatra’.
“This year Bangla New Year procession has been named ‘Borshoboron Ananda Shobhajatra’, Dean of Fine Arts Faculty of Dhaka University (DU) Prof. Azharul Islam Sheikh said at a press conference yes-terday.
‘Borshoboron Ananda Shobhajatra’ reflects the country’s multi-dimensional cultural heritage, hopes and aspirations of the common people and the liberal culture,” he said.
DU Vice Chancellor Prof. Niaz Ahmed Khan, Pro vice chancellors Prof. Sayema Haque Bidisha and Prof. Mamun Ahmed, treasurer Prof. M Jahangir Alam and Proctor Saifuddin Ahmed attended the press conference held at Fine Arts Faculty.
In his written speech Prof. Azharul Islam said this New Year’s event is like stepping in an era of freedom of speech, cultural practice and building a humane state.
“This year’s Pahela Boisakh will be for everyone. Everybody including the people of ethnic groups liv-ing in our land will participate in this year’s Boisakh celebration,” he said.
“Everybody from hills to plain lands will celebrate Nabobarsho together. Through this event, we hope that we will be able to move forward to build a liberal country where people will find pure practice of their culture,” he said.
Speaking about the change of the name of this year’s procession, he said, the annual practice was started in 1989 under the banner of ‘Ananda Shobhajatra’. Later, the name was changed as ‘Mongal Shobha-jatra’. So, this year’s change can be called as a ‘revival’ of the old name.
DU proctor said, the procession will start at 9 am from Fine Arts faculty. Marching through Shahbag intersection, it will go towards Shahid Minar via Raju sculpture. From there, it will parade the roads towards Doel Chattar and Bengal Academy before culmination at the place of origin.
The motto of this the New Year celebration is “Naboborshoer OikyoTan, Fascibader Oboshan”, which was ascertained at a meeting of the organizing committee.
Mass people will only be allowed to enter DU campus through Nilkhet and Palashi road. Shahbagh and TSC Metrorail stations will remain closed from 8 am until the end of the celebration for security reason.
There will be 20 decorated horses at the front of the rally and a convoy of rickshaws at the back. Mass people will join the procession at the rear side.
This year’s procession will be participated by 28 different ethnic groups, private universities, youth bands, Bandarban, Bamba band music artists, Baul saints, farmers’ groups and mainstream artistes.
Sadhana Dance Organization, Rangdhanu Garment Workers’ Artists Organization, female footballers, acrobatic artists, rickshaw rally and horse-drawn carriage convoy will be the other features of the proces-sion.
There will be seven major motifs which will include the face of fascist, wooden tiger, Hilsa fish, water-melon slices (symbolizing Israeli oppression on Palestinians), peace pigeons, palanquins, and water bot-tles of martyr Mugdha.
In addition, the medium motifs will include face masks of the Sultanate and Mughal periods, native birds, horse, various kinds of native fishing traps, ploughs and images and artworks on country’s promi-nent landscapes.
