A century-old manuscript of traditional jatra pala (folk theatre) has been discovered in Gopalganj, shedding new light on rich folk-cultural heritage in the region. The manuscript belongs to Binapani Jatra Party, which was founded at Raghunathpur village in Sadar upazila of Gopalganj in 1332 BS. The manuscript was recently recovered from a suitcase kept by Shukdeb Mondal, a retired bank officer, freedom fighter and grandson of the troupe’s founder Bidhubhushan Mondal. According to Shukdeb Mondal, Binapani Jatra Party once had 108 artistes and earned a countrywide reputation for superb performances. On December 28, the Binapani Jatra Party staged the play “Jel Theke Bolchi” in Dhaka as an audition performance.

Source: Dhaka Tribune January 07, 2026 17:27 UTC