‘Mangal Shobhajatra’ remains on heritage list despite Yunus govt renaming it

Despite the interim government’s move to rename the traditional Bangla New Year procession as “Anondo Shobhajatra” the festival remains registered as “Mangal Shobhajatra on Pahela Baishakh” on UNESCO’s List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.

UNESCO has clarified that it does not take a stance on national naming decisions, as such matters fall under the sovereign jurisdiction of member states.

Any formal change to the international listing, however, requires an official application from the government, the UNESCO says.

UNESCO's Head of Office and Representative to Bangladesh Susan Vize told bdnews24.com via email that the Bangladesh government must submit a formal request if it wishes to synchronise the title with the new domestic name.

"According to the Operational Directives of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Convention, such requests must be submitted at least three months before a committee session for consideration," Vize said.

Officials from the Cultural Heritage Division of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, speaking on condition of anonymity, said they are unaware of any formal application being sent to UNESCO regarding the name change.

Prof Azharul Islam Sheikh, dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts at Dhaka University, confirmed that this year’s procession will also be held under the name “Anondo Shobhajatra”.

Despite the rebranding, Azharul argued that the core characteristics of the march remain unchanged.

He believes the new name will not conflict with the UNESCO recognition, as the essence of the cultural heritage is preserved.