The decision to hold Mongol Shobhajatra in all educational institutions on the first day of Bangla new year or Pohela Boishakh has been withdrawn by the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education and Directorate of Madrasha Education.
The new decision was announced in an order signed by Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education Assistant Director (General Administration) Rupak Roy on Thursday.
According to the notification, Pohela Boishakh should be celebrated in proper style in all educational institutions while preserving the sanctity of Ramadan.
“Bangla New Year celebrations in educational institutions should start with the performance of the national anthem and 'Esho Hey Boishakh'. All educational institutions will properly celebrate the Bangla New Year by protecting Ramadan's sanctity and maintaining religious sentiments,” reads the notification.
On Tuesday, the Ministry of Education directed educational institutions across Bangladesh to give due importance to Pohela Boishakh celebrations and incorporate Mongol Shobhajatra in them.
The ministry said educational institutions must celebrate the Bangla New Year in a festive atmosphere under their own management on Friday.
They also have to publicize that Mongol Shobhajatra was declared an intangible cultural heritage by Unesco in 2016.
Educational institutions also have to include students in Mongol Shobhajatra, a mass procession that takes place at dawn on the first day of the Bangla New Year in Bangladesh.
The Ministry of Education has asked the Secondary and Higher Education Division, the Directorate of Technical Education, and the Bangladesh Madrasah Education Board to take necessary measures in line with the directives to celebrate the Bangla New Year 1430.
