Faculty of Fine Arts of Dhaka University has begun the preparations for arranging Mangal Shobhajatra 1430.
Renowned artist Rafiqunnabi inaugurated the festival work of the Shobhajatra at the Faculty of Fine Arts (FFA) of University of Dhaka on Sunday.
Dean of the FFA Nisar Hossain, teachers and students of FFA were present at the inauguration programme.
Students of the FFA have been organising Mangal Shobhajatra since 1989 to celebrate Bangla New Year.
The colourful procession was inscribed on Unesco’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2016. This year, the 24th batch of the FFA is leading the preparations for the Mangal Shobhajatra. The students will raise funds for the upcoming procession by selling artworks.
FFA students carrying gigantic replicas of birds, fish, animals and other motifs take part in the procession, which is considered an expression of the secular identity of the Bangladeshi people.
Besides, different government and cultural organisations and educational institutions across the country bring out Mangal Shobhajatra on Pahela Baishakh every year.
‘The theme of the procession will be proposed by chairman of DU Bangla department. The procession will start from the FFA and return there after reaching Dhaka Club. As the Bangla New Year will be observed during Ramadan, the Mangal Shobhajatra will contain lesser number of muppets,’ said Nisar Hossain.
