PHOTOS: ABRAR FAIYAZ NILOY

The choice of date was deliberate. April 17 marks both International Dance Day and the 123rd birth anniversary of the poet. The performance retold the story of Rupai and Saju, a love story of separation and longing set in rural Bengal.

ANIKA TAHSIN HAFSA

The auditorium did not feel like an auditorium anymore. Women descended to a river to collect water. Men cut paddy in the fields. A palki swayed through a wedding procession. For a few hours, a convention hall in Dhaka had become a Bengali village.

This was MAYA Bengal in Motion Presented by MW Bangladesh, held on April 17 at Aloki Convention Centre. Now in its third edition, the evening was a tribute to Palli Kabi Jasimuddin and his most celebrated work, Nakshi Kanthar Math . The event was jointly organised by MW Magazine Bangladesh and MAYA, a natural wellness brand under Square Toiletries Limited.

The event was presided over by Anjan Chowdhury, Managing Director of Square Toiletries Ltd. Welcome speeches were delivered by Rumana Chowdhury, Editor and Publisher of MW Magazine Bangladesh, and Malik Mohammed Sayeed, CEO of Square Toiletries Limited. Sayeed reaffirmed MAYA’s commitment to supporting initiatives that celebrate the nation’s art, culture, and heritage.

The choice of date was deliberate. April 17 marks both International Dance Day and the 123rd birth anniversary of the poet. The performance retold the story of Rupai and Saju, a love story of separation and longing set in rural Bengal. The work has been translated into numerous languages worldwide. It was first adapted as a dance drama by Bulbul Lalitakala Academy in 1959.

Even before the performance began, the venue itself set the mood. Nakshi kanthas from several regions of Bangladesh were displayed across the walls. Photographs of Jasimuddin captured significant moments from his life and literary journey. Lines from his poems hung throughout the hall. The entire environment felt like a reflection of Bangladesh’s cultural heritage, quietly pulling everyone back to their roots.

Outside the auditorium, three women sat stitching kanthas . A single kantha takes one and a half to two months to complete. Village women stitch them in their free time, while raising children, keeping house, and managing daily life. Watching those needles move through layered fabric, right at the entrance of the event, offered one of the most quietly powerful moments of the evening.

The performance was curated by Anisul Islam Hero and featured renowned artistes Shamim Ara Nipa, Shibli Mohammad, and Nrityanchal. Through folk dance, music, and expressive storytelling, they brought rural Bengal to life on stage.

The performance will be broadcast on Maasranga Television on April 29 on the occasion of International Dance Day.

Jasimuddin wrote about a Bangladesh that many city dwellers have quietly drifted away from. On one April evening in Dhaka, that Bangladesh came back.