General students of the 70th batch of Dhaka University's Fine Arts Faculty have announced their rejection of this year's Pohela Boishakh celebrations, alleging that the event is politically motivated and marked by nepotism, reports Bangla Tribune.
In a press release issued on Wednesday, the students said: "We, the students of the Fine Arts Faculty, have decided to reject this year's Pohela Boishakh celebrations and its organising committee for practicing nepotism and serving political interests."
According to the statement, students were not consulted during the planning of this Bangla new year celebrations.
"Every year, the Pohela Boishakh celebration is organised through the joint efforts of the Fine Arts students and the faculty members. But this year, the celebration was planned only by the teachers without any participation of the students, which is contrary to our beliefs and concepts," the press release read.
Professor Azaharul Islam Sheikh, dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts and convener of the procession committee, said the Boishakh event has always involved students, faculty members, and alumni.
He claimed that previously, assigning the responsibility to a single batch hindered wider participation and raised transparency concerns.
To address this, he held three meetings and decided on a collective approach for organizing the event as part of academic activities.
Regarding the student boycott, he claimed that those protesting never expressed interest in organizing the event.
The students also distanced themselves from the controversy surrounding the inclusion of Abu Sayed's structure in the celebrations. They claimed they were not informed about the decision and should not be held accountable for the ensuing criticism on social media.
"The Fine Arts students were not involved with the decision of having Abu Sayed's structure during the Pohela Boishakh celebrations. The entire responsibility falls on the shoulders of the faculty members and the organisers," the statement added.
