Amid controversy and heated discussion, the Dhaka University organised Bengali New Year procession has been renamed from “Mongol Shobhajatra” to “Barshabaran Ananda Shobhajatra”. Cultural Affairs Advisor Mostofa Sarwar Farooki had hinted at the name change at a press conference on March 23. Advisor Farooki said on Tuesday that Dhaka University authorities would discuss whether to keep the name or change it. When Farooki had spoken to the media regarding preparations for the new year celebrations, he referred to the procession but avoided using the name Mongol Shobhajatra. An invitation letter sent out to journalists regarding the preparations for the event from the Faculty of Fine Arts also referred to it as just a “Shobhajatra” instead of the “Mongol Shobhajatra”.
