Half-Century-Old Traditional Rural Jatra Pala Halted in Natore

Local Correspondent

In Bagatipara, Natore, a half-century-old traditional rural Jatra Pala (folk theater) was halted due to police intervention. Like every year, this year too, all preparations for the Jatra Pala were completed with contributions from villagers, rice collected door-to-door, and support from cultural enthusiasts. However, just as the artists were ready to perform after final preparations, police intervention disrupted the event.

This incident occurred on the night of February 22, Saturday, during a Jatra Pala organized in Dobila village of Jamnagar Union in the upazila.

For the first time in nearly 50 years, such an obstruction has occurred, leaving the organizers disappointed and sparking outrage among cultural activists and local audiences.

According to organizers and local sources, the Jatra Pala in Dobila village was not organized for commercial purposes. Instead, it was an initiative by local cultural enthusiasts to preserve the nearly 50-year-old tradition. To cover the costs, rice, lentils, and money were collected door-to-door. Everyone in the village, from the elderly to the young, participated enthusiastically. However, at the last moment, Bagatipara police ordered the event to be stopped.

Organizers, cultural activists, and local representatives claim that obstructing such a traditional event, which involves the collective participation of villagers, is a warning sign for the development of rural culture.

Abdul Alim (70), the director of the Jatra Pala, said, “I have been associated with Jatra Pala since I was in fifth grade, though not professionally. I have been witnessing this event in our village since then. This is entirely a celebration of healthy Bengali culture. There is no obscenity or anything that could disrupt law and order. Such obstruction or cancellation has never happened before.”

Local UP member Delowar Hossain said, “There is no room for obscenity or disorder in this Jatra Pala, which is organized with the participation of the entire village. When I arrived at the scene after hearing about the cancellation, the police said they had orders from higher authorities to stop the event. Even though I, as a local representative, offered to take full responsibility if any unpleasant incident occurred, they insisted on stopping the event.”

Bulbul Ahmed, General Secretary of Udichi Shilpigosthi Natore District Council, strongly condemned the police intervention, stating, “Jatra Pala is an integral part of Bengali culture. When the government promises that healthy cultural practices will not face obstacles, such interference by the local administration in a traditional village event is disgraceful. We urge the appropriate authorities to intervene quickly to preserve such healthy Bengali cultural traditions.”

Bagatipara Model Thana Officer-in-Charge (OC) Rafiqul Islam said, “We stopped it because they were bringing girls from outside for the performance. There have been concerns from various quarters, so we stopped it to maintain law and order.”

However, he mentioned that there would be no objection if the organizers obtained permission from the district administration.

Bagatipara Upazila Executive Officer Ha-Meem Tabassum Prava stated that she was unaware of the Jatra Pala being halted.