A rare cultural encounter unfolded in the capital on Tuesday as Pawmum Parban 2025, a week-long festival celebrating the language, art and living heritage of the Mro community, was inaugurated at La Galerie of Alliance Française de Dhaka (AFD). Featuring Mro children and community members from Lama in Bandarban, the festival will continue until December 24.
Daniel Afzalur Rahman, Director of Production at the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA), attended the inauguration as chief guest. He praised the initiative for creating a meaningful platform through which indigenous children can share their cultural expressions with a wider urban audience.
At the heart of the festival is Pawmum Tharkla, a community-led school in Lama that has been working for over a decade to preserve the Mro language, cultural practices and early childhood education. For many of the participating children, the journey to Dhaka marks their first experience outside the hills.
The week-long programme showcases children’s artwork, bamboo crafts, photography, weaving demonstrations and short films. Live performances of Mro dance and songs, along with the traditional Plung flute, are among the festival’s main attractions.
Workshops, guided tours and community dialogues are being held throughout the event to encourage interaction and cultural exchange. Visitors are also invited to engage directly with the children and community members.
Shahariar Parvez, co-founder of Pawmum Tharkla, said the initiative reflects years of perseverance rooted in the community. He noted that the festival offers Mro children a rare opportunity to be seen and heard beyond the hills.
Shohoz has joined the event as the official travel partner, ensuring safe transportation for 40 Mro children and community members from Lama to Dhaka and back. Other supporting partners include Prachyanat Theatre, Together for Bangladesh, ZhirZhir Pvt Ltd, Graam Cha Initiative and Cartoon People, while Alliance Française de Dhaka is hosting the festival as the venue and logistics partner.
The organisers noted that the event has been arranged without major corporate sponsorship and is largely supported by volunteers and well-wishers.
Open to the public, Pawmum Parban 2025 invites visitors to experience the cultural expressions of the Mro people. The festival runs from December 17 to 24, with visiting hours from 3:00 pm to 9:00 pm every day except Sunday at AFD’s La Galerie.
