Photo: Collected-
Metropolis Report-
On Sunday, a legal notice was issued to stop the Mongol Shobhajatra, a traditional procession held annually to celebrate Pahela Boishakh.
The notification was also issued to the deputy commissioner of Dhaka, the dean of the Fine Arts Faculty at Dhaka University, and the secretaries of the Ministries of Culture, Religion, and Home.
The warning was delivered via registered mail by Supreme Court attorney Mahmudul Hasan.
Pohela Boishakh, which has been celebrated by people of different religions for hundreds of years while showing respect for one another’s beliefs, is described in the notice as a crucial component of Bengali culture.
Hasan expressed his disapproval of Mongol Shobhajatra in the notice, saying that it has been artificially inserted into Bengali culture and is not a vital part of the ancient Pohela Boishakh celebration.
The notification went on to say that the term “Mongol” has religious overtones and that displaying different sculptures of birds, fish, and other animals is disrespectful to the Muslim community’s religious beliefs.
The notice stated that this was a clear violation of Article 2 (a) of the Bangladesh Constitution and that it is illegal to insult Islam in accordance with Section 296 (a) of the Criminal Code.
In order to stop the “unconstitutional, unlawful, and artificially constructed” Mongol Shobhajatra, the recipients of the warning were asked to act.
The letter also stated that a writ petition relating to this matter will be filed in the High Court if no action was taken.
