Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) lifted the curtain to its flagship ‘Jatra Festival’s 2024 edition on Friday at the open stage (Mukto Moncho) of Suhrawardy Udyan in the capital, aiming to bring back vibrancy to the cultural arena of the country.

Organised by the Theater and Film Department of the academy, the first day of the 7-day festival was joined by thousands of spectators, celebrating the traditional medium of mass entertainment in Bangladesh.

The opening ceremony was joined by Israfil Majumdar, a participant in the student-led mass revolution, as the chief guest, while eminent Jatra artist Anima Dey attended as a special guest. Cultural Affairs Adviser Dr Asif Nazrul also joined the inaugural show with his family.

Faiz Zahir, Director of the BSA Theatre and Film Department, delivered the welcome speech at the programme, presided over by the BSA Director General Dr Syed Jamil Ahmed. M A Mannan, General Secretary of Jatra Shilpa Malik Samiti, also spoke at the ceremony.

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“Bangladesh Shilpkala Academy believes that the practice of art is at the centre of public life. We have organised this Jatrapala as one of the mediums of artistic practice and keeping in mind the tradition of entertainment of the rural masses, and we want you all to stand by the Jatra artistes,” Dr Jamil said at the event.

Outlining the budget deficiency in the culture sector, Dr Jamil said that the national budget is about Tk 8 lakh crores, whereas the allocation to the Ministry of Cultural Affairs is only Tk 778 crores. He requested the government to contribute more towards the cultural sector.

After the inaugural speeches, the first show of the seven Jatrapala performances titled ‘Nihoto Golap’ was staged at 7 pm. Presented by Surovi Opera, the Jatrapala, directed by Kabir Khan, portrayed a social tragedy-based storyline.

Open to all, this year’s Jatra Festival will continue till November 7.