Dhaka: The Ministry of Cultural Affairs organized a day-long programme on Saturday to celebrate the inclusion of the Mangal Shobhajatra – the procession on the first morning of the Bengali New Year, on Unesco's Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Starting at 3pm, the ministry brought out a rally stretching from the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy and ending at the Fine Arts Faculty of Dhaka University after parading several streets of the city, led by Cultural Affairs Minister Asaduzzaman Noor.

Besides, a discussion and cultural programme was held at the Bakultola of the Fine Arts Faculty, where the Cultural Affairs Minister was present as the chief guest.

Asaduzzaman Noor said the reorganization of Mangal Shobhajatra during the unrest will help us fight against the ongoing militancy. This will help brand Bangladesh as ‘Non-communal’ country in the world.

‘The reorganization will encourage us to promote and enlist more monuments, heritage and traditions on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity,” said Noor.

Mangal Shobhajatra – the procession of good tidings - was enlisted by Unesco on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on November 30. The decision was taken at the 11th session of the intergovernmental committee on intangible cultural heritage, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The Committee in its decision noted that Mangal Shobhajatra, organised by teachers and students of Dhaka University's Faculty of Fine Arts to celebrate the Bengali New Year, symbolises the pride of the people of Bangladesh in their living heritage as well as their strength and courage to fight sinister forces, and their vindication of truth and justice.

The Committee also recognised that the Pahela Boisakh or Bengali New Year festival that the Mangal Shobhajatra heralds represents the solidarity of Bangladeshis, and their shared value of democracy, uniting people irrespective of caste, creed, religion, gender or age.

The initiative to include Mangal Shovajatra on Unesco's list began two years ago when a nomination file on the festival prepared by Bangla Academy and approved by Ministry of Cultural Affairs was submitted to Unesco.