Writ petition filed with HC to stop Pahela Baishakh 'Shobhajatra'

A writ petition was filed with the High Court today (5 April) seeking a ban on the Pahela Baishakh procession, widely known as the Mangal Shobhajatra, organised to celebrate the Bangla New Year.

Supreme Court lawyer Md Mahmudul Hasan filed the petition as a public interest litigation, naming the secretaries of the ministries of cultural affairs, religious affairs and home affairs, the Dhaka deputy commissioner, the vice-chancellor of University of Dhaka, and the dean of its Faculty of Fine Arts as respondents. 

Pahela Baishakh procession renamed 'Baishakhi Shobhajatra'

The petition argues that the procession hurts the "religious sentiments" of the Muslim-majority population and poses risks to "communal harmony", public safety and national stability.

It also claims that the procession is not an ancient Bengali tradition, but a relatively recent initiative that began in 1989 under the name "Ananda Shobhajatra," later being incorporated into Pahela Baishakh celebrations.

According to the petition, carrying large effigies of birds, fish and animals while seeking "wellbeing" or "blessings" contradicts Islamic beliefs, as Muslims seek such blessings only from Allah.

The petitioner sought a court directive to restrain the authorities from organising, promoting or approving the procession in any form during Pahela Baishakh.

Meanwhile, Cultural Affairs Adviser Nitai Roy Chowdhury today said the procession organised by the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Dhaka will now be called "Baishakhi Shobhajatra."

He made the announcement after a meeting on preparations for Pahela Baishakh and "Baishabi," a major New Year festival of ethnic minority communities, at the ministry.

The procession has undergone several name changes in recent years, being called "Ananda Shobhajatra" during the immediate past interim government and previously known as "Mangal Shobhajatra."