Mangal Shobhajatra new UNESCO cultural heritage

The UNESCO on Wednesday recognised Mangal Shobhajatra, an annual procession of well-being brought out on Bangla New Year, as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. 
‘The UNESCO adopted a proposal placed by Bangladesh to include Mangal Shobhajatra in the representative list of the cultural heritage after two hours debate’ in the 11th session of the Inter-Governmental Committee on Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Addis Ababa, Bangladesh ambassador to Ethiopia M Monirul Islam told New Age over phone on Wednesday. 
The UNESCO earlier declared Baul song and Jamdani weaving as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. 
Mangal Shobhajatra, the UNESCO said in its website, is a festival organised by students and teachers of Dhaka University’s Faculty of Fine Art in Bangladesh is open to the public to celebrate Pahela Baishakh (Bangla New Year’s Day) on April 14 of the Gregorian calendar. 
The Mangal Shobhajatra festival, it said, symbolises the pride the people of Bangladesh have in their folk heritage, as well as their strength and courage to fight against sinister forces, and their vindication of truth and justice. 
It also represents solidarity and a shared value for democracy, uniting people irrespective of caste, creed, religion, gender or age, it said.
Knowledge and skills are transmitted by students and teachers within the community, the UNESCO added.
Ambassador and permanent representative to UNESCO, M Shahidul Islam was leading a four-member delegation to the committee’s meeting in Addis Ababa. The other members were Bangladesh ambassador to Ethiopia Md. Monirul Islam, Prof. Nisar Hossain, dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts of Dhaka University and Farhana Ahmed Chowdhury, first secretary of the Bangladesh Embassy in Paris.
The cooperation received from the UN member states to incorporate the Mangal Shobhajatra as a cultural heritage was ‘unprecedented,’ Farhana Ahmed Chowdhury said.

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