Dhaka: The government has decided to bring out traditional Mongol Shobhajarta, a procession which is brought out on the first day of Bengali New Year, throughout the country.

The decision was taken at an inter-ministerial meeting chaired by Cultural Affairs Minister Asaduzzaman Noor at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy Jatiya Natyashala auditorium on Monday.

Noor said the government wanted to reach the traditional programme to grassroots level people as ‘Mongol Shobhajatra’ has earned the UNESCO recognition as world heritage, reports BSS.

The processions will be arranged at divisional, district and upazila levels side by side with central programme at Dhaka University as the government has planned to celebrate Pohela Boishakh this year in a big way.

‘The international recognition of our Mongol Shobhajatra has brought enormous pride for us. We want to uphold our heritage and cultural entity before the world by staging the procession across the country,’ he said.

The minister said: ‘We want to uphold that we are a non-communal nation and there is co-existence of people irrespective of religion, caste and creed in the country.’

Noor said the government would like to give a message before the world that the entire Bengali nation has boycotted terrorism and militancy through the celebration of Pahela Baishakh throughout the country.

‘We will make this year’s Pahela Baishakh celebration with much mirth and merriment with the participation of people from across the country,’ he said.

The minister also suggested Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) to arrange fairs at district and upazila levels on Pahela Baishakh to promote small and handicrafts industries.

Cultural Affairs Ministry acting secretary Md. Ibrahim Hossain Khan, additional secretary Md Mashiur Rahman and joint secretary Fayjur Rahman Faruqi addressed the meeting, among others.

Representatives of Home Ministry, Women and Children Affairs Ministry, Bangladesh Police, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Shishu Academy, Chhayanaut, Department of Public Libraries, Bangladesh Television, Bangladesh Betar and concerned institutions, departments and agencies were present on the occasion.

UNESCO recognised the Bengali’s traditional Mongol Shobhajatra on Pahela Boishakh (Bengali New Year) as a world heritage on November 30, 2016.

In 1989, teachers and students of Fine Arts Faculty had organised the Mongol Shobhajatra for the first time. In continuation of that, it becomes a major part of the celebration of Bengali New Year in the country.