Dhaka, April 5 -- A Supreme Court lawyer has filed a petition seeking a permanent ban on the 'Mangal Shobhajatra' procession during the Pahela Baishakh celebrations, labelling the decades-old tradition as "artificial" and "contrary to religious faith".

Lawyer Mahmudul Hassan moved the High Court on Sunday, naming the secretaries of the ministries of culture, religion, and home affairs, the Dhaka deputy commissioner, the Dhaka University vice-chancellor, and the dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts as respondents.

The petitioner argued that the procession is not an ancient Bengali tradition but a "modern creation" started in 1989 under the name "Anondo Shobhajatra".

He claimed the practice of parading large replicas of birds, fish, and anim...