Nayeb-e-Ameer of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and former lawmaker, Professor Mujibur Rahman has issued the following statement on 12th April, 2017 condemning the conspiracy of inserting anti-national cultural elements as the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has commented that ‘Mangal Shovajatra is a part of the Bengali culture, it is no way relevant to any religion’.
“The religious scholars of Islam have reached into a consensus that Mangal Shovajatra is completely an anti-national cultural element and it is fully disapproved in Islam. A delegation of country’s top religious leader also met the Prime Minister at her official residence of Gana Bhaban on 11th April and called her to stop this culture. Despite that stance, how could the Prime Minister say that ‘Mangal Shovajatra is a part of the Bengali culture; it is no way relevant to any religion’.
The Prime Minister is fully acknowledged that still ‘Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim is inserted in the preamble of the constitution of Bangladesh and Islam is still regarded as the state religion. Under such circumstance, the government should not impose the anti-national cultural elements violating the constitution. If she wants to impose the rituals of any other religion upon the 90 percent of Muslims, it would not be justified.
Mangal Shovajatra was launched in 1989 for the first time by the Charukola Institute of the Dhaka University. Islam never approves this procession as in this procession, participants put the masks of dolls, elephants, dragons, horses and other animals on their faces and dance and cross the streets with dancing with their partners.
The Hindu classes organized Mangal Shovajatra procession to celebrate the birth of Krishna. According to their religious belief, they are taking part in this procession putting the masks of dolls, elephants, dragons, horses and other animals on their faces.
In this backdrop, I am urging the Prime Minister to show respect to view of the religious scholars and the religious faith of the 90 percent of Muslims and to withdraw her deviated comments. Simultaneously I am calling upon the concerned authorities to undertake due measures on emergency basis to stop the procession of Mangal Shovajatra.”
