Curtain falls on 18-day jatra fest

The 18-day nationwide jatra festival organised by the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy was concluded at Jahangirnagar University campus on Wednesday.

The festival featured 100 new jatra productions were staged at venues across the country celebrating the birth centenary of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The Theatre and Film Studies Department of the BSA initiated the festival.

Jahangirnagar University dean of arts and humanities faculty Professor Dr Md Mozammel Hoque, drama and dramatics Professor Dr Rashid Haroon, drama and dramatics department head at the university Professor Dr Israfil Ahmed, Shilpakala Academy Deputy Director Dr Tapan Bagchi and eminent Jatra artiste Tapos Sarker spoke at the closing ceremony with Shilpakala Academy Director General Liaquat Ali Lucky in the chair.

Professor Rashid Haroon said, “The concept of staging 100 jatra pala in several places is unique. The initiative to introduce the tradition of jatra to the younger generation is really praiseworthy.”

He laid stress on compiling jatra palas in certain publications as it would be better for the students or people who want to research on jatra.

Liaquat Ali Lucky said, “In the past jatra was very popular among people from all walks of life in Bangladesh. However, over the years, this performing art has been gradually losing its appeal. The Shilpakala Academy is working on popularising this form of performing art among the people. A policy was formulated in 2012 to protect and promote jatra. Now, we are trying to promote jatra across the country by organising festivals.”

“Though nation celebrates the birth centenary of Bangabandhu, that is the reason we bought 100 new jatra pala on stage marking the occasion”, he added.

After the discussion session, the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy Repertory jatra troupe staged ‘Nishswanga Larai’.

The story of ‘Nisshongo Lorai’ is based on Bangabandhu’s prison life in Lyallpur of Pakistan.

When Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was picked up by the Pakistani army on March 25, 1971, and taken to a desolate prison in Lyallpur of West Pakistan.

At the fag end of the Liberation War, Yahya Khan understood that Pakistan was going to lose the war and he plotted to kill Bangabandhu through a false trial and subsequently failed to kill him. The trial was arranged at Lyallpur jail.