Month-long Jatra Pala festival concludes at Shilpakala

The month-long Jatra Registration Festival formally concluded in Dhaka on Friday (January 23) with a city procession, a closing ceremony at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, and a lifetime achievement honour bestowed on veteran jatra performer Anwar Hossain.
Organised by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and managed by Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, the 13th edition of the festival began on December 1 as part of the Victory Month celebrations. Jatra troupes from different regions of the country participated through a registration-based process. The programme could not end on its scheduled date due to a period of state mourning and was brought to a close this week with its final events in the capital.

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The closing day opened at 3:00pm with a vibrant city procession involving jatra artistes from participating troupes. Dressed in costumes of their onstage characters, performers walked from Shilpakala Academy through Doyel Chattar and Shahbagh before returning to the academy, accompanied by live music and dialogue—briefly transforming central Dhaka into a moving stage.
Prominent figures from the jatra community joined the procession, including Belayet Hossain, president of the central committee of the Bangladesh Jatra Shilpi Unnayan Parishad; Sohel Haider Jasim, president of the Jatra Malik Samity; MA Majid, general secretary of the Jatra Palakar Parishad; Md Tansen Mia, president of the Dhaka Metropolitan unit of the Bangladesh Jatra Shilpi Unnayan Parishad; adviser Md Salahuddin Selim; and Kajol Mia, president of the Bangladesh National Jatra Shilpi Parishad.

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The formal closing ceremony was held at 6:00pm at the Experimental Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. Cultural affairs adviser Mostafa Sarwar Farooki attended as the chief guest, while cultural secretary Md Mofidur Rahman was present as a special guest. The programme was chaired by Sheikh Rezauddin Ahmed, widely known as Rezauddin Stalin, director general of the academy. Dipak Kumar Goswami, director of the Theatre and Film Department, delivered the welcome address.

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A key moment of the evening was the presentation of a lifetime achievement award to senior jatra artiste Anwar Hossain, recognising his long and influential contribution to the popular theatre form. The commemorative honour was formally handed over by the cultural affairs adviser.

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The festival concluded with a staging of the jatra pala “General Osmani” by the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy Repertory Jatra Unit at 6:30pm. Written by MA Majid and directed by Tanvir Nahid Khan, the production focuses on the life and legacy of General MAG Osmani. Organisers said the play is scheduled to be staged in all 64 districts of the country in March.