Baishakhi Shobhajatra: New Year procession gets a new name

One of Bangladesh’s most iconic cultural spectacles is getting a new identity.

The vibrant New Year procession that winds its way out of the Faculty of Fine Art at the University of Dhaka every Pahela Baishakh will now be known as “Baishakhi Shobhajatra”, replacing its long-familiar name.

Cultural Affairs Minister Nitai Roy Chowdhury announced the change on Sunday during a press conference outlining nationwide celebrations for the Bengali New Year, as well as festivities of ethnic communities including Chakma, Marma, Tripura, Garo and others.

For decades, the procession – born from the creative movement of students and teachers at the Faculty of Fine Art, University of Dhaka – has been more than a festive parade.

With its giant masks, folk motifs and bold colours, it has stood as a cultural statement of unity, resistance and Bengali identity, especially during politically turbulent times.

The renaming, therefore, is not just administrative; it touches a deeply rooted cultural tradition.

As the first light of the Bengali New Year breaks, the streets of Dhaka will still fill with colour, rhythm and symbolism – giant masks towering overhead, drums echoing through the morning, and thousands walking together in celebration of heritage.