‘Sraban Tragedy’ brings Bangabandhu assassination on stage

Theatrical productions are normally launched with much festivity and fanfare on Dhaka’s drama stages.

But Mohakal Natya Sampraday’s ‘Sraban Tragedy’, premiered Monday at National Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, was an exception.

The curtains of the show went up with mournful background music of the violin, sitar and flute. And then someone began singing ‘Bangabandhu More Nai, Batashe Kan Patle Shunte Pai’ (Bangabandhu didn’t die, can hear his fiery voice in the air).

Three narrators took the stage in subtle light and started depicting the tale of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family’s assassination.

Written by Anan Zaman and directed by Ashiq Rahman, the play is the 40th production of Mohakal.

It presents the tragedy that took place during the last days of the Bangla month Sraban (August) in 1975 when the father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, along with his family members, were killed by some army men with the support of local and foreign vested groups.

Political and military leaders of the newly-independent Bangladesh like Tajuddin Ahmed, Ziaur Rahman, Khondaker Moshtaq Ahmed, colonel Faruq, Taheruddin Tahkur, and many others appeared as real-life characters in the play.

Mujib’s family members like Sheikh Kamal, Sheikh Rasel, Sultana Kamal and others were also enacted by the actors of the troupe.

At the last scene of the play, a child came on the stage and asked Khondaker Moshtaq Ahmad, “Why did you kill me, uncle?”

Moshtaq, one of the conspirators behind Bangabandhu killing, at one stage, requested the child to go back to Road 32 of Dhanmondi.

Then, the child said sobbingly, “With whom can I go there? You have killed all of them. Blood’s everywhere on the stairs and veranda.”

Mohakal’s chief Mir Zahid Hasan told Prothom Alo that the play highlights the roles of the conspirators who assassinated Bangabandhu and his family. 

The cast of the play include Mir Zahid Hasan, Mir Nahid Ahsan, Kabir Ahmed, Faruq Ahmed Sentu, Poly Biswas, Samiul Jiban, Sumaiya Taiyum Nisha, and Piyasi Jahan, among others.