Considering the upsurge in the country's COVID-19 situation, Dhaka University has formally called off the Mangal Shobhajatra, or March of Good Tidings, a colourful procession at dawn to usher in the Bengali New Year on the University campus.

The university authorities circulated the decision in a press release issued by its public relations office.

Students of DU Fine Arts have been organising Mangal Shobhajatra since 1989. The colourful procession, which even made into UNESCO's Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2016, has become a signature event of Pahela Baishakh celebration in Bangladesh.

Every year, the procession centres on a theme relevant to the country's sociocultural milieu.

It usually features various animal-shaped carnival floats, large colourful masks, replicas of birds, butterflies, traditional dolls and other motifs of Bangladeshi culture that highlight the traditional folklore of Bangladesh.