A Pitha Festival and folk music fest were organised at Dhaka University’s TSC to revive and promote Bangladesh’s traditional folk culture. Hosted by the cultural organisation Doroder Gaan, the event featured folk music performances, Puthi recitations, indigenous and tea plantation workers’ dances, alongside a wide variety of traditional pithas. The day-long festival ran from noon until midnight on 29 January.
The festival took place at TSC’s Payera Chattar, where the pitha stalls were set up, while the folk music performances were held at Sabuj Chattar. Renowned folk musicians, including Baul Sunil Karmakar, Baul Shafi Mondol, Jayita Arpa, Kaniz Khandaker Mitu, and bands F Minor and Ganpoka, performed at the event. Additionally, the audience enjoyed Puthi recitations and the Jhumur dance performed by Sylhet’s tea plantation workers.
Professor Niaz Ahmed Khan, Vice-Chancellor of Dhaka University, attended as the chief guest. According to the organisers, the festival aimed to introduce the younger generation to Bangladesh’s rich folk traditions, which are gradually fading in the hustle and bustle of urban life.
Abdur Rahman, the organiser of Doroder Gaan, stated, “Our initiative is dedicated to exploring, preserving, and strengthening the heartfelt music, traditions, and festive culinary heritage rooted in the lived experiences of Bangladesh’s diverse communities. Our culture is deeply intertwined with nature—land, water, seasons, folklore, and agriculture. This is not just a cultural event; it is an effort to amplify the voices of marginalised communities.”
Organiser Maruf Hasan added, “Bangladesh has a distinct cultural heritage, but urban life is distancing people from it. Our goal is to create a bridge between folk traditions and modern urban culture.”