A 360 celebration of Bangladeshi Culture
Bengal Foundation has been contributing to a wide array of Bangladesh's cultural aspects for the better part of three decades, from finer aspects like classical music, fine arts and film to more deep-rooted ones like traditional crafts and theatre. But at the AMA Muhith Sports Complex in Sylhet on Wednesday, they brought all that together, and then some, to paint a magnificent picture of Bangladesh's culture as a whole. The Bengal Sangskriti Utshab Sylhet 2017 opened in the city amid much enthusiasm from locals, and overcoming a big weather-caused obstacle.
On-spot registration queues swelled up outside the entry gates by 4pm, as people of all walks of life – from dapperly-dressed youths to lungi-sporting commoner, from little kids to the elderly – flocked the venue. Shabnam Ferdousi's documentary “Born Together” started off the festival proceedings at the Syed Mujtaba Ali Mancha, and the Crafts Fair at the Gurusaday Dutt Chattar displayed traditional artisanal crafts from various parts of the country. The architecture exhibit, “Agami'r Sylhet” at the Kushiara Colonnade drew a large, rather curious crowd. The two other film screenings, Mostofa Sarwar Farooki's “Television” and Nasiruddin Yousuff's “Guerrilla” also saw a houseful audience.
But through the elaborate arrangements, a closer look showed a few signs of the unexpected trouble that struck the festival a night before it began. On Sunday night, a big storm had taken down some of the temporary establishments, while a truss of the overhead enclosure structure had also fallen down. A lot of the structural parts of the festival had to be re-built last-minute, and the event management people at Blues Communications did a superb work to bring the field back up to host the festival.
It was only fitting that the performances at the main stage named the Hason Raja Mancha, began with an art form of the region. Manipuri dance troupe Dhriti Nartanalaya, with noted dancer-choreographer Warda Rihab at the helm, presented the first performance, “Leichan”, putting on show all the colours and vibrancy of Manipuri dance.
The Sylhet unit of Jatiya Rabindra Sangeet Sammilan Parishad, performed patriotic songs next, including “Moder Gorob Moder Asha”, “Bolo Bolo Re Bolo Shobe Bolo Re Bangalee'r Joy”, and “Amra Shobai Bangalee”.
The opening ceremony followed, chaired by Brac founder and Chairman Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, and including Bengal Foundation Chair Abul Khair, Finance Minister AMA Muhith, Cultural Affairs Minister Asaduzzaman Noor, Bengal Foundation advisor AK Momen, and Managing Directors of sponsors Dhaka Bank and Index Group – Syed Mahbubur Rahman and Zakia Tazin respectively.
Abul Khair, in his address, said: “We have been doing many activities for Bangladesh's culture, but could not do anything combining all of it, so we wanted to do it here in Sylhet. This festival gives a holistic impression of what Bangla culture can be,” he said.
Asaduzzman Noor stressed on the practice of culture to eradicate social problems like militancy. “Not everyone will become a painter or a singer or filmmaker. But the people who go to see films and listen to music, that number is important. We have to work to increase that number,” he said.
AMA Muhith, the chief guest of the inaugural session, emphasised on the development of good cultural taste to become a good human being. “If we can take this festival to other parts of the country, we will have a culturally aware nation,” he said. Muhith also hailed the people's interest in the festival at his native land, where he said 35,000 people had already registered to attend.
In his brief address, Sir Abed said the festival “creates a new chapter in Bangladesh's cultural practices.”
Adity Mohsin was the next performer of the evening, and she went through a set-list of popular Rabindra Sangeet, opening with “O Amar Desher Mati”, and performing numbers like “Ta Bole Bhabna Kora Cholbe Na”, “Shedin Dujone”, “Bhenge Mor Ghorer Chabi” and more.
The most-anticipated name on the opening day's bill, Joler Gaan took the stage next and formed an instant connection with the energetic audience, as Rahul Ananda greeted them in fluent Sylheti dialect. The group's natural ability to engage the audience and theatrical stage presence got the audience off their seats, dancing and singing along to “Jaore Tepantor”, “Geetol Chithi”, “Emon Jodi Hoto”, and “Laal Balloon”. But it was with their hit “Bokul Phool” that they really got the crowd in frenzy.
The festival's second day's performers included a group tabla recital by students of Parampara Sangeetalay, folk songs by Bhajan Baul, Nazrul Sangeet by renowned exponent Manomay Bhattacharya, and more folk songs by Chandana Majumdar and Shatabdi Roy. Film “Meghmallar” was screened, while Manipuri Theatre staged their play “Kohey Birangana”.
The festival, dedicated to the memory of Gyantapas Professor Abdur Razzak, will continue till March 3, and also includes a literary conference (that begins today), a food stall with traditional delicacies of various regions of Bangladesh, and an art camp featuring eminent artists.
Comments