Dhaka, April 12 -- Bangladesh has decided to change the name and contents of the UNESCO-recognised traditional procession for the Bengali New Year.

Several Islamic political parties and religious organisations were demanding a change, claiming that the name and contents of the procession are similar to Hindu culture.

Bangladesh will celebrate Bengali New Year 1432, popularly known as "Pohela Boishakh," on April 14. Mangal Shobhajatra, a mass procession organised by the teachers and students of the Faculty of Fine Arts of Dhaka University, is considered an expression of the secular identity of the Bangladeshi people. It was declared an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO in 2016, categorised on the representative list as a heritage of...