Dhaka, Bangladesh – This year’s PahelaBaishakh, marking the
Bengali New Year, was unlike any in recent memory. Instead of national unity,
the holiday exposed deep-seated divisions — all ignited by a last-minute
decision to rename one of the country’s most cherished cultural events.
A Name Reclaimed, a Nation Divided
Just days before the celebration, Dhaka University’s Fine
Arts Faculty announced a change: the beloved MangalShobhajatra (Auspicious
Parade) would now be called BorshoboronAnandaShobhajatra (Joyous New Year
Parade). The faculty — which launched the tradition in 1989 during a period of
military rule — insists the new title is, in fact, the original one.
“This is a return to the parade’s roots,” said Professor
Azharul Islam Sheikh, dean of the Fine Arts Faculty.
Supporters of the move describe it as a symbolic reset,
distancing the event from the 15-year rule of the Awami League (AL) and its
increasingly authoritarian image. Critics, however, warn that the change risks
undermining the parade’s legacy of inclusion and resistance — values it came to
embody over decades of political and cultural evolution.
From Resistance to Ritual
Born out of defiance under General Ershad’s military regime,
the inaugural 1989 parade featured towering effigies — owls symbolizing
corruption, tigers for strength, and doves for peace. It was a cultural protest
wrapped in vibrant imagery, reclaiming public space without overt slogans.
In 1996, as democracy returned, the event was renamed
MangalShobhajatra. The Sanskrit term mangal, meaning “auspicious” or
“prosperous,” was seen as reflecting hopes for collective harmony. But in
recent years, conservative and Islamist factions began pushing back, arguing
that the word carried Hindu religious connotations. In 2023, a Supreme Court
lawyer even filed a legal notice claiming the name offended Muslim sentiments.
Despite these challenges, the Awami League-led government
kept the parade intact — until now.
Clashing Visions of Nationhood
At its core, the renaming controversy taps into a larger
struggle over Bangladeshi identity. The Awami League has historically
championed Bengali nationalism, emphasizing language and ethnicity. Meanwhile,
the opposition BNP promotes a vision of Bangladeshi nationalism, rooted more in
geography and Islamic heritage.
“This debate is fundamentally about two different versions
of what Bangladesh should be,” said political analyst Rezaul Karim Rony. “It’s
not just about a parade — it’s about identity.”
Cultural Affairs Minister and filmmaker MostofaSarwarFarooki
also pointed to historic exclusivity. “The festival was long limited to the
Bengali majority,” he said. This year, in a landmark move, the government
extended official invitations to 28 ethnic minority groups.
“For once, we felt genuinely part of it,” said Chanumung, a
parade organiser from the hill district of Bandarban.
Powerful Symbols, Stark Reactions
While the parade retained traditional elements — colorful
animals, folk figures, and festive banners — it also embraced raw political
imagery. Leading the march was a massive 20-foot “Face of Fascism” effigy,
widely interpreted as a representation of Sheikh Hasina. Another float bore the
date “36 July,” referencing the student-led uprising that ended her tenure. A
third featured a water bottle — a tribute to Mugdha, a young protester who died
helping others during the revolt.
To many, these symbols honored recent sacrifice and
reclaimed a lost voice. Others, like theatre academic Kamal Uddin Kabir, were
disturbed.
“I never thought the New Year celebration would turn into a
political stage,” he said.
Yet for people like Kaiser Ahmed, who took part in the protests,
the day marked a personal and political turning point.
“I stayed away for years under Hasina,” he said. “This time,
I came back. I feel free again.”
Tradition at a Crossroads
The controversy over the parade’s name is only the surface
of a deeper question: who gets to define the nation’s culture?
For some, the shift reflects the danger of politicizing
heritage, with each new government reshaping traditions in its own image.
Others argue that culture has always been political — the real test is whether
it fosters inclusion or division.
“The issue isn’t whether culture and politics intersect,”
said Rony. “It’s whether that intersection builds a broader national identity —
or fractures it.”
For now, the renaming of Bangladesh’s most symbolic parade
remains a potent flashpoint. More than just a name, it has become a proxy for
the larger battle over what kind of country Bangladesh wants to be.
