Barcelona: Highlighting Bangladesh’s inclusive cultural policy at the World Cultural Policy Forum (WCPF) in Barcelona, Cultural Affairs Adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki has said that the country’s July Mass Uprising transformed the nation’s socio-cultural divides into a source of collective strength. He made the observation while speaking at the WCPF in the city of Spain. The three-day global gathering, widely known as MONDIACULT 2025, was inaugurated on Monday by Spanish President Pedro Sanchez, according to a press release issued here today by the ministry.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, among over a hundred cultural ministers, Farooki joined the Forum as the Head of the Bangladesh delegation and spoke at the first plenary on Cultural Rights and Economy of Culture. He further underlined the historic cultural fault lines that have been politically exploited over many decades against the interest of the communities and created a fractured society. He reiterated the Bangladesh interim government’s commitment to carefully address these and create an inclusive cultural scenario.
Farooki cited the example of the recently celebrated Anondo Shovajatra that included all ethnic groups to celebrate the traditional New Year centrally, which was not the case in the last 54 years. At the same time, he said the government has been pursuing a neutral cultural policy centering on religious festivals. This year’s initiatives of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs centering on Durga Puja, Eid, and Buddha Purnima stand as testimony to that, he added.
He also highlighted the importance of public-private partnership in innovative cultural financing. Calling upon the international community to come forward, Farooki urged them to utilize digital platforms and OTT services to promote cultural content. Mostofa Sarwar Farooki was joined by the Cultural Ministers of Finland, Paraguay, Malta, and Poland, who have appreciated the vision that Bangladesh is pursuing over the last year.
MONDIACULT is the largest pilgrimage of Cultural Ministers and policymakers in the world. The Forum aims at drawing political prioritization of culture in the post-SDG framework to which a declaration will be adopted on the next Wednesday.