Dhaka, Apr 14 (Reporter) Bangladesh celebrated Pohela Boishakh or the Bengali New Year today with festivities, including with floats depicting ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as the 'Face of Fascism' in the form of an evil rakshasa. Amid the celebrations, the country’s Cultural Affairs Advisor Mostofa Sarwar Farooki claimed that the ‘Anondo Shobhajatra’ celebrations this year were not politically motivated. As reported by The Daily Star, addressing reporters on the Dhaka University Campus, he said "In previous years, the Shobhajatra had been used for political purposes. A political group used it to suppress their opponents. “This time, we have only targeted the Face of Fascism, because fascism is not a part of politics—it is the greatest evil force of all." "Yes, there is politics -- but it's the politics for Bangladesh. You'll see the participation of all communities and the reflection of different eras, from the Mughal to the Sultanate regimes," the filmmaker-turned-politician said, adding "there is no typical, narrow-minded political element here." The Advisor also backed the name change of the procession from ‘Mongol Shobhajatra’ to ‘Barshabaran Anondo Shobhajatra’, which was prompted by the radical Islamic group Hefazat-e-Islam. The advisor said the name of the procession was changed at different times, and added, "No incident of imposition has taken place here. Rather, imposition had taken place in the past." "This year, the Faculty of Fine Arts (Charukola) has decided to use the name with which the Shobhajatra of the institution was originally started first," Farooki claimed. "We may not be in this world 20-30 years from now, but this year will be remembered for a long time, as Bangladesh will continue on this path," he added. There have been accusations levelled at the interim government that it has been succumbing to and patronising the demands of Islamist forces in the country, and moving away from inclusivity and diversity to religious extremism...////...