The 50th batch of the Department of Archaeology of Jahangirnagar University (JU), under the guidance of Professor Dr Masood Imran, organised a vibrant day-long programme titled Heritage Fest and Research Talk yesterday (31 August) at Room 318 of the New Arts Building.

Centred on the theme “Celebrating Heritage: Connecting to the Self”, the event combined academic discourse with cultural exhibitions, highlighting Bangladesh’s rich heritage while exploring questions of personal and collective identity. The programme was tied to Course 409, Legal Practices in Archaeology, underscoring the department’s commitment to cultural preservation.

As the keynote speaker, Dr Masahiko Togawa of Tokyo University of Foreign Studies presented his research on “Islamization and Secularization in Education: A Case Study of a Village in Chittagong District.”

A vivid food exhibition featured Bengal’s diverse culinary traditions—from Barishal’s guava and Rajshahi’s mangoes to Muktagachha’s monda, Mymensingh’s jilapi, Jessore’s khejur gur, Jamtala’s roshogolla, Tangail’s chomchom, and Feni’s kholaja pitha. Savoury dishes such as Bagerhat’s semai pitha with beef and duck infused with chuijhal, shorshe ilish, assorted shutki, and chingri mach with kochurloti added to the spread.

The festival also included heritage cosplay, where students embodied cultural and historical icons including Behula and Lakkhindar, a devoted khadem, the Bengali middle class of the 1900s, a deshi farmer, revolutionary Bagha Jatin, a zamindar bari bride, and a wandering baul.