BENGAL FOUNDATION’S CELEBRATION OF THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF OUR INDEPENDENCE EMBODIED EVERYTHING THE ORGANISATION HAS WORKED FOR OVER THREE DECADES.
Founded with the dream of a culturally enriched Bangladesh, Bengal Foundation strongly believes in the strength of art in spurring compassion and enhancing the quality of life. This philosophy is well reflected in its numerous activities and programs which includes music, visual arts, literature and publications, cinema, and architecture. Over the years, the Foundation’s role has been vital in conserving tradition and allowing diversity while catalysing the growth and evolution of our culture. Its founding objective to uphold Bangladeshi traditions by highlighting its cultural wealth facilitates the confluence of our traditions with the digital era. Recently, to celebrate the nation’s 50th independence anniversary, Bengal Foundation, in collaboration with BRAC Bank, hosted a five-day cultural festival titled Srijone o Shekore.
PERHAPS THE MOST COLOURFULLY EXQUISITE PART OF THE CELEBRATION WAS ‘KAMRUL KARUMELA’. IT WAS AN EXHIBITION FEATURING CREATIVE ART PIECES THAT WERE REMINISCENT OF ONE OF THE ANCIENT ART FORMS IN HUMAN HISTORY.
The festival was an amalgamation of everything that makes Bangladesh a paradise of traditional ethos. It allowed a unique way to discover the contrasting elements of our culture. Srijone o Shekore was successful in creating an immersive experience that allowed the visitors to dive into the local landscape, context and tradition. It facilitated the display of Bangladeshi ethos in its contemporary form under the same roof. Perhaps the fact that made the occasion so significant was the ambience that fostered a connection with a culture that evolved over thousands of years. The charged atmosphere of the segments beautifully resonated with an urban audience that is increasingly being exposed to bite-size content. The overwhelming response to the live events in a post-pandemic world highlighted people’s eagerness to experience and enjoy their beloved culture.
Shwoparjito Prithibi – The Earth in Our Hand
This segment of the festival was a group art exhibition focusing on the importance of the preservation of the natural environment. Twenty-one talented young artists from Chittagong delivered a moving message on the importance of conservation to protect our planet through their artwork and performance. The exploration of nature in art appears to have taken an endless form, as it (nature) provides us with a wealth of inspiring phenomena. The exhibition illustrated that humans are inseparable from nature and it is substantially intertwined with our very existence.
Kamrul Karumela
Perhaps the most colourfully exquisite part of the celebration was ‘Kamrul Karumela’. It was an exhibition featuring creative art pieces that were reminiscent of one of the ancient art forms in human history. They were colourful, exotic and aesthetic. Kamrul Karumela offered art pieces that would become the centrepiece of a modern home decor. Most importantly, the art pieces connected with the children and younger visitors with our culture in its most adorable form.
Boi Porbo and Alape Bistare
‘Boi Porbo’ was a book exhibition featuring authors of various genres. The exhibition was complemented with ‘Alape Bistare’, where authors and literature enthusiasts engaged in discussions about the various aspects and intricacies of writing. On the 2nd day of the festival, the esteemed writer Anwara Syed Haq launched her book, Khad. The insightful dialogue among the bright minds gripped and enthralled the audience.
Gaaner Jharnatalay
Music is an integral part of Bangladeshi culture. It is deeply connected to the psyche of the country and resonates through the villages of the country. ‘Gaaner Jharnatalay’ was designed to convey the grandeur of Bengali music for a contemporary audience. It included Rabindra sangeet, Nazrul geeti, classical music, folk music, and Baul music among others . A violin instrumental was performed by Shiuli Bhattacharya and her group. Notable and renowned musical artists, Rezwana Choudhury Bannya, Laisa Ahmed Lisa, Khairul Anam Shakil, Bulbul Islam, Chandana Majumdar, Munmun Ahmed, Fahmida Nabi, Adity Mohsin, Shimul Mustafa, Warda Rihab, Bhashwar Bandyopadhyay, Bhajan Baul, Krisna Baul, Rahul Ananda, Krisnakoli, as well as the students of Bengal Parampara Sangitalay performed at the festival. Dance performances directed by Asit Ray, Munmun Ahmed, Warda Rihab, Tamanna Rahman, Samina Hossain Prema, and Sharmila Banerjee mesmerised the audience. Eloquent recitations by Shimul Mustafa, and Bhaswar Bandyopadhyay also garnered much appreciation from the crowd.
Chalchitra
This segment consisted of a short film festival and was inaugurated by Md Abul Kalam Azad, Chief Executive at Bangladesh Cinema and Television Institute. Notable highlights of the event were the screening of the short film Bhoy, directed by Juairiza Mou as well as shorts by the notable director, Gazi Rakayet. Panel discussions by various film personalities made the sessions captivating. The segment highlighted the growing popularity of short films among the wider Bangladeshi audience. Once considered a niche for critics and enthusiasts, short films have more mainstream appeal in the contemporary entertainment sphere. ‘Chalchitra’ exhibited how the changed landscape is facilitating the production of high-value Bengali short-films that have the potential to capture the mainstream audience.
DANCE PERFORMANCES DIRECTED BY ASIT RAY, MUNMUN AHMED, WARDA RIHAB, TAMANNA RAHMAN, SAMINA HOSSAIN PREMA, AND SHARMILA BANERJEE MESMERISED THE AUDIENCE.
Akash Kushum
This was a special art and culture segment for children. It included colourful, animated, and lively activities such as crafts and painting and puppet shows directed by Dr. Rashid Harun. Nithor Mahbub and his team’s mime art performance got excitement and laughter out of the children in the audience. The purpose of Akash Kushum was to encourage children to broaden their horizons of imagination and creativity through art.
Celebrating, preserving and nurturing the traditional arts of our country, Srijone o Shekore was Bengal Foundation’s homage to our nation on its fifth decade of independence.