The 13th Jatra Registration Festival drew to a close in Dhaka on Friday with a celebratory procession, a closing ceremony at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) and a lifetime achievement honour for veteran performer Anwar Hossain.
Organised by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and implemented by the BSA, the month-long festival began on December 1 as part of Victory Month observances. Featuring registered Jatra troupes from across the country, the programme extended beyond its original schedule due to a period of state mourning, with the final events held this week in the capital.
The concluding day began in the afternoon with a colourful procession through central Dhaka. Jatra artistes, dressed as their stage characters, marched from the BSA through Doyel Chattar and Shahbagh before returning to the venue. Accompanied by live music and dialogue, the procession briefly turned city streets into a moving performance space.
Leading figures from the Jatra community joined the procession, including representatives of the Bangladesh Jatra Shilpi Unnayan Parishad, Jatra Malik Samity and Jatra Palakar Parishad, reflecting the collective nature of the traditional theatre form.
The formal closing ceremony took place in the evening at the academy’s Experimental Theatre Hall. Cultural affairs adviser Mostafa Sarwar Farooki attended as chief guest, alongside cultural secretary Md Mofidur Rahman.
The event was chaired by the academy’s director general Sheikh Rezauddin Ahmed, with opening remarks delivered by theatre and film department director Dipak Kumar Goswami.
The highlight of the ceremony was the presentation of a lifetime achievement award to Anwar Hossain, honouring his decades-long contribution to jatra as a performer. The award was formally presented by the cultural affairs adviser.
The festival concluded with the staging of General Osmani by the BSA Repertory Jatra Unit. Written by MA Majid and directed by Tanvir Nahid Khan, the production explores the life of General MAG Osmani. Organisers said the play is scheduled to tour all 64 districts of the country in March.
