DHAKA: Thousands of people took to the streets of Dhaka on Sunday to celebrate the Bengali new year.Vast inflatable animals and colorful banners could be seen in a procession — known as Mongol Shovajatra — to mark the holiday.The Mughal emperor Akbar is said to have introduced the Bengali calendar in 1556 for the purpose of tax collection.The first day of the new year, Pohela Boishakh, is when businessmen traditionally update their account books and people settle debts.“During the Mughal regime, it was an agriculture-based economy and that’s why people didn’t have enough cash in hand,” Dr. Shamsujjaman Khan, Bangladesh folklore expert, told Arab News.“Since it is centered on the paddy-harvesting period, the farmers used to sell it to have the cash and bought new clothes and other necessary things for their family, which eventually turned it into a festival. This is the most secular occasion for the people of this land, since people from all religions and classes take part in this festivity. It is an integral part of our culture and heritage.”President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina sent their greetings to citizens, expressing wishes for a happy and prosperous nation.Mongol Shovajatra was the main attraction for Dhaka-dwellers celebrating the new year.The procession has been organized by students from the Fine Arts Institute of Dhaka University since 1989.UNESCO declared the procession part of the country’s “intangible world cultural heritage” in 2016. “It’s a procession which represents the essence of Bengali culture where people unite at the beginning of every year and promise to fight against all evil forces,” 39-year-old businessman Abdur Rahman told Arab News.He has been taking part in the procession for 11 years.Tahmina Begum, a 21-year-old student at Dhaka University, was at the procession with classmates and friends.“It’s a symbol of our communal harmony as people from all religions and sects participate,” she told Arab News.“It is the only festival which upholds the secular spirit of our country and I feel very proud to be a part of this festival.”
