Since the government has made Mongol Shobhajatra compulsory in every school in the country, fundamentalist Islamic parties and organisations including Jamaat-e-Islam and Hefazat-e-Islam has been protesting the government’s decision for the past one week. Mongol Shobhajatra began in 1989 as a resistance to military dictatorship by teachers and students of the Faculty of Fine Arts, Dhaka University using traditional folk art to usher in the Bangla New Year. In his statement Mujibur also alleged the government was forcing students to bring out Mongol Shobhajatra to please some vested interest quarters. Much of the rhetoric about Mongol Shobhajatra consistently circles around conspiracy theories. Chormonai Pir Syed Rezaul Karim, also the ameer of Islami Andolon Bangladesh, told Dhaka Tribune: “A few months ago the government installed a Greek idol in front of the Supreme Court and now they have made Mongol Shobhajatra compulsory in schools.

Source: Dhaka Tribune April 09, 2017 16:41 UTC