State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Mohammad Ali Arafat on Monday described Bangladesh Udichi Shilpigoshthi's programme defying the directives issued by the government for the sake of public safety and its negative statement as unexpected and unfortunate.

"Udichi Shilpigoshthi's programme defying the directives, issued by the government's security affairs agency for ensuring security of Pahela Baishakh, was inconsiderate and unfortunate incident," he told journalists at his Secretariat office.

Arafat said, "The government gets hurt and very much shocked at this behavior of Udichi".

Many people were killed and many others became paralyzed after being injured in bombings at Ramna Batamul in the capital and Udichi's programme in Jashore on Pahela Baishakh, he said.

The state minister said several members of police sacrificed their lives to prevent terrorist attack at Holey Artisan, Eid Jammat at Sholakia Maidan and in Sylhet and saved lives of people.

As the government remains always vigilant to ensure the safety of people's lives and property in every event, no terrorist attack or terrorist incident has occurred in Bangladesh in the recent past, he mentioned.

He said the government seeks everyone's cooperation in this regard.
Arafat said in 1993, the then Begum Khaleda Zia's government obstructed the celebration programme of Bengali year of 1400.

The purpose of their obstruction was not security rather for discouraging this universal and non-communal festival of Bangalee nation, the state minister said.

"Under the leadership of Bangabandhu's daughter, all organizations having faith in the spirit of Liberation War including Bangladesh Awami League or we all had celebrated Pahela Baishakh in Suhrawardy Udyan," he said.
  
Noting that ensuring security is the duty of the government, the state minister sought cooperation from all as any joyous festival doesn't turn into sorrowful incident.

He questioned who would take the responsibility if any accident occurred there where Udichi held programme defying government's prohibition.
"We think that those who will hold programme without following rules or directives should take that responsibility," he said.

Mentioning said Pahela Baishakh is celebrated in a proper manner under the initiative of the Awami League government, Arafat said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government introduced allowance for Bengali New Year for celebration of the Pahela Baishakh.

During the tenure of Sheikh Hasina, in response to the Cultural Affairs Ministry's appeal, Bangladesh's "Mangal Shobhajatra" was declared an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO in 2016, categorised on the representative list as a heritage of humanity.