Bangla Academy hosts cultural showcase bridging ancient Charyapada with contemporary literature

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The Bangla Academy’s Poet Al Mahmud Writer’s Corner played host to a multifaceted cultural showcase this Saturday, as the Bhabanagar Foundation presented “Ek Rupe Bahurupi,” an event blending the historical depth of Charyapada poetry with contemporary literature, music, and puppetry.

The program commenced with a performance of early Bengali literature, starting with Luyipa’s “Kaa Tarubara Panchabi Daal,” performed by a collective of traditional artists including Shah Alam Dewan, Srijoni Tania, Baul Antar Sarkar, Shila Mallik, Anis Munshi, and Fahet Kalam. The musical segment also featured a solo rendition of the fourth Charyapada verse by Srijoni Tania, and concluded with a newly translated composition titled “Na Bolo Bhalo, Na Bolo Mando,” performed in unison by the ensemble.

Researcher Simon Zakaria, the event’s moderator and president of the Bhabanagar Foundation, highlighted the discovery of a new Charyapada verse by American researcher Westin Harris. Found in Tibetan, the verse by the poet Virupa was translated into English by Harris and later adapted into simple Bengali by Zakaria, who noted that the foundation’s efforts to revive these ancient texts began in 2011. Since then, the organization has expanded its scope to include international seminars and creative integration, such as the inclusion of contemporary poetry and puppetry in this year’s program.

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The second half of the event shifted focus to the work of Chittagong-based poet Rajib Kumar Das. Following a recitation of his work by Nurunnabi Shanto, researchers Hasan Dabir Uddin and Sharan Ehsan presented critical papers analyzing his literary contributions. A panel discussion—featuring Jagannath University professor Gowhar Galib, Dhaka University researcher Zobayer Abdullah, poet Asad Ahmed, and translator Shahed Kayes—praised Das for maintaining a distinct voice while operating outside the urban literary mainstream of the capital. Reflecting on his craft, Das noted that his poetry serves as a medium for navigating personal identity, historical narratives, and contemporary reality.

The event concluded with a performance by Kak-Tarua Puppet Theatre, featuring Jahangirnagar University students Fatema Binni and Arnab Mallik. The puppetry show, which included interactive musical performances about reading and dinosaurs, drew an enthusiastic response from both children and adults, marking a successful effort by the Bhabanagar Foundation to bridge the gap between ancient heritage and modern artistic engagement.