First time in 47 years: Vandalism forces cancellation of Bengali New Year festivities in Bangladesh's Chittagong

For the first time in 47 years, Bengali New Year festivities at Chittagong's DC Hill were cancelled following vandalism of event preparations. Unidentified individuals targeted banners, festoons, and side stages set up for Monday's Poila Boishakh celebration, reported The Times of India.

Witnesses reported a group of 30-40 people marching onto the site Sunday evening, shouting slogans such as "accomplices of fascists, beware!" and "agents of Awami League, beware!"

The destruction prompted organizers to call off all scheduled programs in protest.

Event coordinator Sucharit Das Khokon noted prior difficulties in the two days leading up to the event, stating, "At the last moment, the district administration gave us a list of 23 organisations, instructing us not to allow them to perform.

And then, just before the event, this act of vandalism took place."

While Chief adviser Muhammad Yunus urged national unity for a peaceful and inclusive Bangladesh in a message saying, "Let building a Bangladesh without discrimination be our commitment in this Bangla New Year," ousted PM Sheikh Hasina condemned the incident and the Yunus government.

"Today, anti-liberation forces have illegally seized power in Bangladesh. They are actively trying to destroy Bengali culture," she stated.

She further added, "Whenever anti-independence forces gained control in the past, they attacked the nation’s history, heritage, and culture. They not only tried to stop the Mangal Shobhajatra but even attempted to change its name."

Hasina concluded by saying, "On this auspicious moment of Bengali New Year, let us commit to rejecting all that is unhealthy, ugly, or part of a distorted culture — and instead, embrace a healthy, beautiful, and creative way of life." The traditional 'Mangal Shobhajatra' procession, a key part of Poila Boishakh, was renamed 'Anondo Shobhajatra' this year by the government after objections from conservative Islamist groups like Hefazat-e-Islam, who labeled it a "Hindu ritual."

With inputs from TOI